


To the Moon and Back

by petyrbaaaeeelish



Series: To the Stars and Back/ To the Moon and Back [2]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Dimensions, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universes, Artificial Intelligence, Dangers, Dom/sub, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Foreplay, Game of Thrones References, Implied Petyr Baelish/Sansa Stark, Kinks, Light Bondage, Makeup Sex, Multiple Sex Positions, Mystery, Parallel Universe Petyr is a Bad Ass MF, Parallel Universes, Planet Exploration, Revenge, Sansa wants her revenge on Jane too, Shameless Smut, Smut, Space Exploration, battles, galaxy, space, vengeance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-28 16:20:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 155,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15053123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petyrbaaaeeelish/pseuds/petyrbaaaeeelish
Summary: While Sansa is still in grief over Petyr's death, another man comes into her life and the likeness of her former love is uncanny. Still, looks can only go so far, will Sansa be able to love this new Petyr from a parallel universe? And will she have what it takes to fight Vasken once and for all?





	1. The Old and the New

**Author's Note:**

> I am a few weeks late, but the sequel to "The Stars and Back" is finally up. This one will have a lot more action and adventure, so I hope you enjoy this next installment. 
> 
> "Tame Impala- New Person, Same Old Mistakes" prompted me to finally sit down and write this chapter, so I recommend you giving it a listen while you are reading this. Enjoy!
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

_Breathe._

My heart was beating at a tremendous pace, hammering out of my chest as I walked down the open hallway.

_Its not him- not really._

My Petyr would hobble with his trusty cane towards me, not swagger in front of me with a confident air. This new Petyr- this man who threw on a tarnished leather jacket while talking to Mariam was so very different from the man I loved. He brushed his curly bangs away from his face, half squinting at Mariam after he made a harmless joke. She laughed at him, covering her mouth as he leaned into her ear to whisper something sinful.

“Petyr!” she cried out and swatted him away like an irritating fly.

He bit down on his bottom lip, smirking at her with narrowed eyes. She shoved him away playfully and looked down the hall to see me approaching. “Oh,” she mouthed, and Petyr caught her shocked expression and his earnest gaze soon followed. His eyebrows raised in surprise, the lines around his face smoothed over as he stared at me with a pleased expression.

 _Its not him,_ I reminded myself, after he shoved his hands deep into his jeans pockets. _He’s too young for one thing, and too…_

“Sansa,” Mariam said in a professional tone of voice. “I did not expect to see you so soon.”

_Only because you wanted him all to yourself._

“Petyr,” he stated, and raised his hand for me to shake once I finally stood in front of him.

“Sansa,” I replied in a soft voice, surprised at the way our hands molded together perfectly, just as it had done so many times before. His grey-green eyes lighted up as he gazed at me, clear and penetrable under the bright lights. His eyes lowered down to the golden band around my ring finger; rotating my hand slightly to catch the rubious coloured jewel reflecting the lights.

“Funny,” he stated, and raised his left hand to show an exact replica on his index finger. “They look the same.”

I aligned my hand with his, standing particularly close to him as we both analysed the matter. “I think they are,” I said with a mischievous smile, unalarmed if he caught the cunning look in my eyes.

“Where did you get it?”

“My fiancé gave it to me,” I lied. _Well, he would have been if he was still alive,_ I deliberated, and unconsciously found myself frowning at the thought of it.

“He must be a wealthy man. This gem is a rarity.”

“I believe he was,” I answered him, now finding myself unable to look him properly in the eyes. Petyr took my right hand again, squinting at the gem with a curious gaze.

“You’re not wearing it on your left hand,” he observed.

The corner of my lip tugged into a smile, grateful he was just as clever as my Petyr. “Yes, I should put it on my left, shouldn’t I?”

“You said you were engaged,” he remarked in a tone of voice that was higher than usual.

“Was.”

“You lost interest,” he teased, while his fingers lightly stroked the top of my hand. There was a warmth to his touch, a familiarity that he hardly seemed to be aware of.

I let my hand slip away from him as I answered, “He died.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yes…” I bit down on my lip, finding it strange that this man who wished to console me was the same person I was in mourning for. _How odd,_ I thought, as he reached for my right hand again, but this time he placed both of his large hands over mine. 

“Was it recent?” I nodded my head in response, unable to utter a single word when my mouth felt so dry. “Then I am truly sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, and found my eyes had finally leveled to his own. There was a strength in both of our gazes, like a key perfectly fitting into a lock, or two magnets snapped together instantly without effort from either side. I could feel him step in closer, feel his shadow fall across mine until we were only a few inches from each other. _Is it possible to fall in love again,_ I wondered, as he continued to gaze at me.

“We haven’t met before, have we?”

I smiled at that inquiry, remembering the first time Petyr had asked me that very question the first time we met. “No,” I said with a wider smile. “Not exactly.”

“I feel like I know you.”

I laughed at that, shaking my head in earnest as he gave me another entreating look. He steadied my face quickly, placing the large palm of his hand on the side of my face. I froze at the touch of him, finding it had been so long since I had felt the warm of his touch- the gentleness of his fingers as it dragged down the side of my cheek. His thumb rubbed the center of my cheek with wonder, making his eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to understand what exactly was going on. “You look confused.”

“I am only trying to…” His eyebrows were firmly knitted together now, lips puckering as he tried to piece the puzzle together in his mind. “This feels strange.”

“It does.”

“But you look like you’ve seen this all before.”

“I have,” I confessed, before I laid my hand over his own, pressing it tighter to my cheek till I could closed my eyes with relief.

“Sansa,” he hushed, which forced me to open my eyes and gaze at him. “Who are you… really?”

 _I am your wife,_ I thought, _or almost was._

He interlaced our fingers together, bringing it down to the sides of our waist. He kept gazing at me, unable to turn his head away, even when a series of footsteps resounded behind me. I was able to turn away though, and saw Richards grinning at me from ear to ear. Captain Ali’s eyebrows was raised in astonishment, he pulled down the front of his cap with both of his hands as he tried to compose himself. “It really is him,” Captain Ali breathed, and Richards responded by clapping him on the shoulder with his scarred hand.

“Mariam,” Richards said with a hint of endearment. “Sansa,” he added, as he stepped into our space. “Pete,” he shouted and clapped the poor man on his shoulder harshly. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

“I don’t believe we met,” he said in a frigid tone of voice.

“Oh, you guys haven’t told him yet.”

“Not exactly,” Mariam responded, and gave Richards a look of warning.

“Oh,” Richards guiltily said, and steadily lifted his hand off the man. “My name is Richards.”

“Petyr,” he replied, after he let go of my hand to shake the gentleman’s. “And what haven’t you guys told me?”

“We knew you before,” I answered him before the others could object. “We knew the Petyr from our dimension.”

“Oh,” he lightly said, and shook his head with understanding. “And where is he now? I should like to meet this other me,” he laughed, but his good humour died away once he caught the mournful looks in our eyes. “Oh, I see.”

I swallowed hard, attempting to hold back the wave of emotions that was raging inside of me. “How did I die?” Petyr asked after the silence was too much for him. “I hope it wasn’t painful.”

“He was killed by a machine,” I replied, not wanting to go into the matter further.

“Accident?”

“Not exactly.”

“Am I going to need a drink for this?” Petyr chuckled nervously, before he brushed his moppy hair away from his face.

Richards grunted before he shot back, “You’ll need more than a drink.”

“Right,” Petyr hushed, while his eyes flickered from the right to the left anxiously. “This has most certainly been an interesting day.”

“If it helps…” I mumbled. “It’s strange for all of us.”

“Yes, well…” Petyr darted his eyes in all of our direction, finally landing on mine before he continued, “I guess you should start from the beginning.”

* * *

It was a few hours later when I found myself sitting at the edge of my bed, legs crossed with Petyr’s old photo album upon my lap. I left it open to the page where he was just a boy holding up a doll in a science suit, liking how youthful and innocent he looked in that image. My eyes glanced upwards to watch the stars drift in and out of view, the spaceship was moving again, resuming the path that Petyr had laid out for us a long time ago. This part of space was dark, isolated from the colourful array we saw for most of our travels so far. Fortunately for us there was no sign of Vasken, but that didn’t mean the danger had slipped away. Mariam and I were convinced it was right on our heels, ready to strike when we least expected it.

I let out a weary sigh before I fell flat on my bed, tossing the photo album aside so I could close my eyes for a moment. _What would Petyr say now, if he could see me?_

I rang my fingers through my hair, forcing my nails to dig into my scalp with silent anguish. _This is too_ _much,_ I thought, as I felt my stomach twisting and turning like someone who was sea sick.

 _He must have it worse. How could I forget the look in his eyes when we told him about Petyr’s past? He must think he was some kind of monster,_ I reasoned, _but in spite of everything he had done, Petyr could never be that._

 _We all make mistakes,_ I contemplated, _and as long as we learn from it that’s what truly matters._

I rolled over on my chest, sticking my legs up in the air before I entangled them together. My eyes lowered to the ring on my right hand, taking in the unfathomable depth to the dark rubious gem, feeling a faint sense of Petyr as I stared into it.

 _What would Petyr say if he could see me now,_ I thought again, and rolled out of the bed to at least pretend I had something constructive to do. _He would chide me for ignoring this new Petyr,_ I mused, and found myself smiling at that fact.

“Its too soon,” I mouthed aloud, after I pressed my hands on the clear protective glass. _I’m not ready to open my heart again, even if its for the same man._

It was late, and I should be eating dinner with the rest of my crewmen, but I didn’t have the stomach for it. _I’m not ready to see him again either,_ I grievously thought, and went over to the revolving closet to find my favourite sweater. I stood off to the side until I saw that familiar white sweater, plucking it off the hanger the moment it was within reach. _There it is,_ I thought, as I rubbed my hand over the stitched in words: _Elisium,_ a place that was gone but never forgotten.

My front door chimed the moment I threw my sweater on, and a moment more I opened the door for Richards to step through. “I brought you dinner,” he remarked, and held up a paper bag to prove it.

“Thanks Richards.”

“Anything for you,” he replied, and held up his own bag to show me he was staying for dinner.

He took his familiar seat opposite me, before he pulled out a tin of Chinese processed food. “Oh, you brought us fortune cookies,” I excitedly said, and waved the plastic wrapping in front of him.

“I thought you needed a bit of luck.”

“Oh, I’m fine,” I lied. Richards tutted at me, but I simply ignored him, favouring to pick the set of chopsticks off the table to show how its truly done. “You have to learn how to use these things.”

“A fork and knife are perfectly fine,” he barked back, and stabbed the piece of spicy chicken to prove it.

“So, what do you have to say?” I asked him, after I took a sip of water. “I know that look.”

“The look that says why the hell you are hiding in your room when you should be with Petyr,” he sassily said.

“Trust me, if it was _my_ Petyr-”

“Your Petyr,” he scoffed. “That could be your Petyr too. But your so quick to shun him away.”

“I’m not shunning,” I argued. “I just need time, that’s all.”

“Well, Mariam may have Theodore, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have eyes for Petyr as well.”

I rolled my eyes at him, not needing a reminder of how quick Mariam was to dig her claws into him when we were explaining Pety’s past. _She thinks she is so clever,_ I bitterly thought, and found I had stabbed my chop stick in the center of a green pepper.

“Taking it out on the food,” Richards teased.

“I’m picturing this is her eye,” I answered him with a serious gaze.

Richards chuckled under his breath before he dug his fork into the center of his stir-fry. We ate in companionable silence after that, accustomed to each other’s presence not to have idle chit chat to waste the hour away. He put on an old basketball game halfway, leaving the volume down low just in case I wanted to talk about the events of the day. He was just having the last of his mango ice cream when I piped up, “Richards.”

“Yeah.”

“What would Petyr want?”

“Your Petyr?”

“Uhhh huh,” I mumbled, and pulled my knees into my chest as I sat upon the carpeted floor.

“I think he would want you to be happy, Sansa.”

“But would he want me to get over him so quickly?”

“You’re not over him.” He set the spoon down into his bowl and looked at the light-yellow substance pensively. “I don’t think you ever will. But if there is a chance for you and Pete to start again, I say… go for it.”

“I suppose your right.”

“There’s an attraction.”

“Yeah, I felt it.”

“And it wasn’t forced.”

“No.”

“Then I don’t see why we need to discuss this further. Everything is falling into place, and you are standing here ready to pick it apart.”

“I’m not-”

“You are,” he cut in. “And I’m not having it.”

“Richards,” I grumbled, not liking the disapproving look he was giving me.

“If my wife came from another dimension and stood in front of me now, well, I’d be on her like chips and salsa.”

“Really?”

“Okay, that sounded terrible,” he admitted. “But you get my meaning.”

“I guess.”

“So, are you going to talk to him or what?”

“Maybe tomorrow.” Richards stood up and turned the hovering monitor off in front of me. “What was that for?”

“Sansa Stark you are going downstairs right this minute.”

“You’re not my dad!” I whined, like a child that wasn’t getting there way.

“Don’t let me whoop your ass.”

“Richards!”

“Alright, fine! Have your pity party, but you’re having it alone.”

“Wait!” I cried out, after he cleared up his things. “Where are you going?”

“Back to my place. Here I am, feeling sorry for you.” He threw the remains of his dinner in the garbage behind him. “And you got some good-looking version of Petyr downstairs.”

“I liked my old Petyr,” I argued back.

“Well, you can stay here liking this old Petyr while all the girl’s downstairs try and dig their teeth into this new one.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard the girl they picked up on that vessel isn’t the only one interested in Petyr.”

I immediately stood to my feet and ran to my rotating closet. “Richards, help me pick out something nice.”

“Oh, now! Now you want to go downstairs.”

“Richards, please.” I went back to grab a hold of his arm and drag him to the rotating closet. “I need your help.”

“I don’t know…” he rubbed his hand across his shaved head. “Wear red.”

“Really? That’s the best you can do?”

“I’m a guy. We don’t know this stuff.”

“Fine.” I placed my hands on his chest and shoved him to my bed. “Stay here.”

He looked around with confusion, eyes narrowing as he tried to understand what exactly was going on as he sat at the edge of my bed. “Need I remind you that I am a married man.”

“Trust me, I’m not interested.”

“That’s what they all say, before they come onto me.”

I rolled my eyes at him and strode over to my closet, picking up different dresses to bring back to him. “Alright, Richards, choose.”

* * *

When I found Petyr he was standing in front of the observatory deck, his hands interlaced together as he looked out the window meditatively. The area was busy, groups of people coming and going to their own destinations, and yet, Petyr remained so still and quiet he could almost go unnoticed. Half a smile appeared across my face as I watched him, noticing the way he frequently spun the ring around his index finger as he contemplated something in his head.

“Do you mind if I join you?” I asked quietly, alarming him so much that he wore a shocked expression once he caught my eye.

“Sansa,” he said with a lop-sided grin. “I was just thinking about you.”

“I hope it was something nice,” I softly replied, and took my place beside him. “Do you like what you see?”

“I do now,” he said amusedly, as he took in my dark auburn dress that went well with my coppery hair. I shyly smiled at him, feeling like it was the first time again. _A new beginning,_ I thought, as I raised my head slightly to look at the twinkling stars above. “I put two and two together,” he interrupted, and waited for me to level my gaze at him. “The other Petyr and you were together.”

“We were.”

“I can see that now.” The left side of his mouth curled into a smile, just enough to show me that his words were true. “He was a lucky man.”

“He said that a lot,” I laughed, and looked away from him so I could hide that secret smile that I always shared for him alone.

“This must be awkward for you. Seeing him, but not.”

“A bit, yeah.” I turned my gaze away from him again, after he I noticed the crinkles around his eyes. “It’s like looking into a mirror,” I contemplated. “I see my Petyr, but I don’t.”

He reached for my hand and pressed it firmly in his own. He lifted it to his lips slowly, pressing it against the back of my hand as he stared up at me. “I hope I made it a little better,” he hushed, and let our hands drift down to our waists.

“You did.”

“If I’m not to forward,” he said with caution. “This might prove worthwhile.” He cupped both sides of my cheeks and drew me forward slowly, encapsulating his lips over mine tenderly before he began to kiss me. I leaned into him automatically, forgetting myself as I quickly kissed him back with such fervour that it took him by surprise. “Wow,” he said in between a kiss, surprised when I pushed him against the glass wall to smoother his lips with my own. “Sansa,” he panted, in between a kiss, and when I ignored him he gently laid a hand on my chest. “Slow down, sweetling.”

“Why did you call me that?” I panicked and leaned my face away from his.

“I don’t know,” he laughed. “It just came to me.” He brushed his bangs away, blinking quickly as he saw my changing expression. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, its just…” I looked away from him, surprised at the emotions that were coming over me. “Its just odd that you should say that.”

“Do you want me to say something else?” he asked with concern.

“No, its fine.” He let his hand press against the side of my temple, drawing my face closer to his own. “Memories, that’s all.”

“I understand.” He wore a sad smile as he looked into my pale blue eyes, tilting his head to the side as he analysed the emotions evoked from it. “You really did love him.”

“I did,” I chocked, and found the lids of my eyes close so I wouldn’t cry. “I still do.”

He kissed me in reply, letting his lips slowly form against my own to calm me. I fell into him, helpless as he continued to soothe me with those long-lasting kisses, finding his hand resting on the bottom of my spine as he pulled me into his frame. _Petyr,_ I thought from the far corner of my mind, and with eyes closed I could picture his arms around me again. “Don’t let me go,” I breathed, forgetting who my lips were really cemented too. “Please.”

“I won’t,” he replied in a calm voice. “I’m right here.”

I pushed my face into his chest, forgetting to keep myself together after the last kiss he gave me. I started to cry, unable to hold back the tears any longer. I felt Petyr’s warm hand wrap around my frame, rocking me from side to side as I stained his dress shirt with tears. “I’m sorry,” I wailed, as I buried my face deeper into his chest.

“No, its fine,” he assured me. “We should go somewhere quiet,” he relayed, and steered me to an empty staircase. We sat down on the cold steps, and there he let me lean against his solid frame as I let out the last of my tears.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to say,” I moaned, and wiped away the last of my tears with the back of my hand. “I’m still in mourning, that’s all.”

He kissed me on the side of my temple, before he wrapped his arm around my waist. “I hope you don’t think I’m taking advantage-”

“No,” I interrupted. “And thank you.”

“Of course, Sansa,” he cooed, and kissed the side of my cheek to prove it. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, once I turned my gaze to him.

“I look like a mess.”

“Maybe,” he surmised, and let his thumb wipe across the side of my cheek. “But I think you are pretty all the same.”

 _I’m his type,_ I remembered, and looked down at the stain marks on his jeans as I tried to push it from my mind. He gave my hand a tender squeeze, forcing me to look up at him again. “There she is,” he teased, before he wrapped his hands around the back of my neck and pulled me in for another kiss. I submitted, falling into his chest as he offered me deeper kisses, opening my mouth slightly to let his tongue slip in. _This feels good,_ I told myself, even though I knew it was only a bandage to the wound. He jabbed my tongue lightly, enough for me to lift it and make contact. He suddenly moved his face away and offered me a sad smile, sensing I wasn’t exactly in the mood for such games. _Another time,_ his eyes seemed to say before they fell away from mine. “What do you want me to do?”

“Just stay with me,” I uttered, after I swallowed hard enough for us both to here. “For a little while.”

“Gladly.”

“I’m not usually like this, I’m…”

“Sansa, you don’t need to give me excuses. I understand.”

“Okay.”

“Are you comfortable?”

“Enough,” I answered him, before I snuggled myself against him. My back went into his chest, while his long arms wrapped around my frame. He smelt different, like oils that you would find in a mechanic shop. It reminded me of Jon, but not enough to ruin the moment. His hands were slightly stained as well, black grime underneath his fingernails and a few burn marks along his hands. _He likes to get his hands dirty,_ I realized, which brought a faint blush to my face.

“Are you feeling any better?” he asked, as he rubbed his hand along my left forearm.

“I am.”

“Good,” he whispered, and kissed the back of my head approvingly. “Rest Sansa. You’ll be alright, soon enough.”

And for the first time, in a long time, I closed my eyes and rested the back of my head against his chest and found myself believing it.  


	2. Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa remembers a time when her Petyr was haunted by the scar running down his chest, but now the tables have turned and she finds herself unable to get past wounds he left the day he died- the day she lost everything.

Petyr raised the back of my hand to his lips, kissing it gently as he watched me from the corner of his eye. There was a hunger in his look, but also a trace of concern. Grief never truly left me, not even when we strode down the last of the hall together. I had invited him up to my place to talk, but a part of me wondered what would truly happy once we were locked behind closed doors.

Petyr let go of my hand to wrap his arm around the back of my neck, letting his hand dangle just above my chest. Dark eyes burrowed into my profile, a small smug played upon his face as he looked me up and down.

_I know what he wants, but do I want it too?_

“Thank you for inviting me,” he slyly said, as he watched me unlock the door.

“I thought we should talk in private,” I relayed, after I held the door open for him. I gently locked it in place behind him, ignoring the smirk that continued to spread as he watched me walk into the center of the room. I noticed the mess Richards and I made on the dining room table, so I quietly cleaned it up with shaky hands, feeling the heat of his gaze behind me.

“Nice place,” he observed, as he kicked off his shoes and pushed it against the wall to the front door. I heard him shedding off his leather jacket when I turned my gaze away, hearing the slack of leather against pants as he dropped it to his side. “A bit hot.”

“You can turn down the temperature if you'd like.” The remains of Richards dinner were tossed into the garbage can, while Petyr fiddled with the thermostat. I took a quick glance at him when he was distracted, marveling at how different he looked from my Petyr. _They even stand different,_ I thought, as this one stood with his legs further apart. There was a swagger about him, a confidence that I had never truly seen before. A blast of cold air was felt overhead, and Petyr snapped the casing shut with a pleased air. _He sure knows what he’s doing,_ I thought, as he cast me a sly grin before he strode towards me.

“So, what do you want to talk about, sweetling?” he asked when he was only a few steps away. He raised his hands a little from his side as he added, “Or was this just an excuse to get me into your bed?"

“I wanted to talk,” I stated with a steely gaze.

“Alright,” he exclaimed as he pressed his right hand over his chest. “I was just wondering, that’s all.”

“If I wanted you to get into bed, you'd know,” I said flatly, and drew out a chair for him to be seated. He wore a look of surprise as I went around the other end of the table and took a seat opposite him.

“Command suits you,” he observed, after he took his seat. “No wonder you’re the boss around here.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“You don’t want it?” he asked, as he scratched the back of his ear.

My lips scrunched up, while my eyes lowered to the empty space in the middle of the table. “No, but I made a promise… and I intend to keep it.”

“From him.” He spread his arms across the table, fidgeting with the multiple rings on his right hand. “You made it to _your_ Petyr.”

“I did.”

“He must have trusted you.”

I bit down on my lip, silently contemplating the matter in my head before I agreed with him. My eyes darted at him suddenly before I inquired, “Have you met another me in your dimension?”

“No. I’ve never set eyes on you until now.”

“Then its odd that we should find you,” I mused aloud, half distracted by the pale white ring on his little finger that was now attracting my attention. _Why can’t I get rid of all these memories,_ I wondered, as I saw a flash of the first time I saw that ring the day Petyr and I first met.

“Yes,” the man in front of me assented, recalling my undivided attention again. “All of time and space and your ship manages to find me. Another few days and my crew and I wouldn’t have made it.”

“How did it happen? You coming here, I mean.”

“A mistake? Accident? It all happened so fast.” He made a face that almost made me laugh, I had never seen Petyr so puzzled before in all my life. “I’m still trying to piece everything together, but I’ll need more time.”

“Take as long as you want,” I assured him, surprised to see how formal my tone of voice was with him suddenly. “If you need any special equipment, you need only ask.”

“Thank you, Sansa,” he uttered, but the way he pronounced my name made my cheeks glow a profuse shade of pink. His brogue was heavy as he voiced, “Have I said something to upset you?”

I covered the side of my cheek with my hand, hoping the colour would die down soon. “No.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, once he noticed the heat rising to my face, the way I could no longer control the fire within me. _Why must he look at me that way,_ I panicked, _why must he wear Petyr’s face?_

“Sansa?”

_Its because he is Petyr._

He was rising from his chair now, settling himself atop of the table with his leg gently resting against the side of my arm. He was close, too close for my liking, and the way he inclined his head downward to get a better look at me made me want to run. _Don’t feel anything,_ I told myself, but my heart and mind were so conflicted as I felt his earnest gaze. “I can tell there is something on your mind,” he relayed. “Do you want me to go?”

 _Yes,_ I thought, but I was tongue-tied the moment he rested his large hand on my forearm. The dark ruby gem on his index finger seemed to be burrowing itself into me the longer I stared at it. _Take it,_ whispered a voice in the back of my mind, as I pictured Petyr on the hospital bed drenched in his own blood, handing me his ring for me to take- his silent plea for me to remember him _always._   

“I should go,” a voice uttered in my bedroom, and I looked up at the man in front of me, half startled as I slipped out of my trance. “You need time alone… I can tell.”

“I’m sorry for-”

“No! Don’t apologize,” he urged, and slipped off the edge of the table. “I think I need some time to think too.”

“You can stay.”

“I think we both know what will happen if I stay.”

“Not necess-”

 “Goodnight, Sansa,” Petyr cut in, and leaned in to peck my cheek. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment the best I could. _I’m an emotional wreck,_ I contemplated, but that didn’t stop me from taking a hold of his shoulder to pull him back to me. Petyr hardly had time to react before I slammed my lips on his, half-leaning out of my chair so I could wrap my arms around him. He murmured something against my lips but I kept on kissing him, ignoring the stray tear that was running down the right side of my cheek. Petyr brushed his hands up my back, catching it in the bottom of my messy updo before he started to fish out the pins that kept it at bay.

 _I should stop,_ I told myself, but I found my feet pressing to the solid ground to lift myself out of my seat. Petyr was slammed into the side of the table as I kept my lips on his, not willing to give him up just yet. I felt my hair falling down my back, and that’s when Petyr dug his nails into the bottom of my spine as he leaned me into him. He opened his mouth wide to catch me, eager to taste all of me in case I moved away. There was heat, tension in each of our touch as we each grasped at the other, both desperately giving in to our sinful desires. _Stop before it goes too far,_ a voice said at the back of my mind, but he began to make small circles at the bottom of my spine, following the smooth groove of my back in a wishful manner. He shot me a dashing grin as he scooched back further on the table, opening his legs wide for me to come inside. “Come here, sweetling,” he drawled in a hoarse voice. A trace of a smirk threatened to spread across his face as his eyes undressed me. His fingers flexed at his sides as the tension rose, a second of hesitation came over me before I placed a foot on the seat of the chair and the other atop of the table. 

 _He’s not your Petyr,_ my mind fought back, but I wanted him still. _I want to drown myself in him._

He was eager to grab a hold of me, fingers pinching into the sides of my waist as he drew me between his legs, liking the way I towered over him when I was on my knees. His fingers ghosted the stray hairs in front of my face, the tiniest of sighs escaped him before he pushed it behind my ear. Desire shined through his eyes like an arrow, piercing something inside of me; I had seen that look before, of course, but not from someone so young and dangerous looking as the man who was currently pulling me closer to his chest. “That’s it,” he said in a husky voice, thrilled that I was now engaging in this dangerous game as much as him. I pulled at his hair, surprised to find how thick and full it was as his lips barely hovered over mine. He tilted his head to the right slightly, hovering for a just a few seconds more before he applied a slow, painful kiss  _He can never make love to_ _me like Petyr,_ I bitterly thought, as I felt his hand press against the back of my nape where my zipper was, already planning out what we should do next.  _He can never love me like him._

“I can make you feel better,” he mouthed, his lips brushing against mine as he uttered it. _Lies,_ I wanted to yell out. _Why is it always lies with him?_

"Let me," he breathed, so soft it was barely audible.

_But my Petyr lied too. Maybe he is not so different, after all._

“Keep your eyes on me,” he hushed, and stopped his preamble with my zipper to cup my cheeks instead. “Will you do that for me?”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked in an accusatory tone of voice, feeling like the last of my self control was slipping away as both of his hands arrested my face. I lowered my head a little, focusing my blurry vision to his silk red tie. "I want to know _why_."

“Because I want to help you,” he answered me. “I want to make you happy.”

“Why?”

“Because I just do, sweetling,” he chuckled, and brushed his long hair away from his forehead. “Now, should we do this somewhere more comfortable?"

I hardly had time to reply before he stood atop of the table and jumped to the floor. _Who is this man,_ I curiously thought, as he turned around to take a hold of my waist. “There we go," he yelled, as he lifted me into the air and motioned me to wrap my legs around his sides.

“Did you do it often with him?” he asked, as he dropped me to the floor. He roughly took hold of my shoulders and spinned me around until my back was to him.

“All the time.” I licked my lips as I stared out the open window, taking in the sad scenery of the stars twinkling past the glass screen. “Every night.”

“Every night?” he said in a high-pitch voice. “My, you were busy?”

“I loved him,” I croaked, brushing my hands against the sides of my arm feverishly. _I love him still._

The zipper fell down to the bottom of my spine, unable to go down any further, so Petyr delicately pulled the straps off the tops of my shoulders with care.

“Face me,” he ordered. My dress was still on, the straps on either side of my arms. I wore a sad look as I gazed at him, mourning over the man who was staring back at me. _He's like a ghost._  This new Petyr graced my right shoulder with the palm of his hand, letting his fingers glide down the back of my arm cautiously. “I’m jealous.”

“Of what?”

“Him,” he said in a low tenor. “Imagine that, jealous of myself?”

“Yeah,” I giggled sadly, finding my eyes squinting slightly as I looked at him. He began to pull down my dress watching it fall away from my skin with hungry eyes. He stopped as it reached my waist, pressing his hands around the folds of my dress as he leaned in to kiss my neck. The fine bristles of his moustache tickled me as he made his way upwards, and I found myself wishing he would shave it off. _At_ _least it's not a beard,_ I thought for a moment, before his sudden jerk of his head brought me back to the present. “What is it?”

“Your thinking of him, aren't you?”

“Yes,” I replied, half annoyed that he should ask me such a ridiculous question.

He pouted suddenly, a sterness came over him as he wriggled the tips of his fingers between the folds of my dress. "Then I will have to remedy that,” he blurted out, before he slammed his lips on mine with force, taking me by surprise as he wrestled the last of the dress down with clenched fists. I wrapped my arms around him, taken by the heated passion he suddenly displayed, clawing at the back of his head as my fingers got lost in his thick mane. He palmed my ass, lifting me off the floor so high that I had no choice but to wrap my legs around him. Heady, aggressive touches clawed down my back, marking my sensitive skin with his rough hands. He threw me on the bed, making the pillow and my blankets fly into the air before they crashed back on the bed. I gasped as he leaped atop of it, stalking his way towards me. I crawled back to the foot of the bed frantically, half terrified by the lustful look in his eye. My Petyr was a gentleman, he was kind and loving, almost hesitant to give in to his carnal desires. I felt this man who was staring at me now, standing proudly on the bed with a starved look was quite the opposite. 

“No further,” he warned, and placed his feet on either side of me to trap me in. I found myself clawing my blankets on either side of the bed; torn by the twisting feeling at the bottom of my stomach as I imagined what this man would do to me if I let him. _He's so different, so..._

"Don't," he piped up, as if he could sense my thoughts. "I'm right here."

_He knows I'm thinking of Petyr._

"Do I have to try harder?" he drawled, as he crouched down in front of me. He placed his knees on the outsides of my thigh, settling over my lap with ease. A silence fell over us as he looked at me like a predator, eyes half squinting as he took in my changing expression. He was reading me like a book, a thing clearly evident when he finally rapped out, "Say my name."

"Petyr."

"Again," he said in a hazy voice, hands inches away from my shoulder where my bra strap were.

"Petyr."

"That's who I am, sweetling." His light touch was felt as he slowly pulled down the straps. 

_He's just trying to manipulating me to get what he wants._

"That's who I'll always be. In this dimension or the next."

"You're nothing like him!" I spat out grievously.

The ghost of Petyr let his eyes fall way from me, a snake of a smile barely crossed his face. Calloused fingers pinned themselves underneath my strap, plucking at it with annoyance. "I'm probably more like him then you think," he said under his breath.

"Petyr would never touch me like this," I said in a fit, almost filled with a blind rage. "You just want to fuck me and then be done with it!"

"And your Petyr never did that?"

"No," I chocked, hating how close his face was to mine. "He was kind, and gentle and sweet, and..."

"He sounds soft."

"He wasn't!"

"He was." He snapped my bra strap against my shoulder blade. "He wouldn't last a second where I'm from. I came from a place where if you know what you want you take it." He abruptly moved forward, smacking his lips against mine while he fisted my hair between the palms of his hands. The headboard smacked behind us, creaking against the wall as he pinned me against it. I wanted to push him away, but another part of me liked his willfulness, the dominance that continued to stir as he creeped his way up my lap, grinding his stiff jeans against my flesh. I moaned, making sharp sounding sounds the second I has time to breath. He was relentless, taking charge as he fisted my wrists and positioned it to the bottom of his dress shirt. "Pull it out!"

Feverish hands trembled as I pulled it out of his jeans. He pressed his lips against my cheek as he droned, "Unbuckle my belt."

I did as he bidded, sliding it out of the hoops before I handed it to him. He carelessly tossed it aside, a thing my Petyr would have never done. "Do you know how to take off a tie?"

"No."

"I take it _he_ never wore ties then?"

"Never."

The corner of his lip tugged a little as he leaned his face away. "Watch and learn," he uttered, as he raised his chin upward. He slipped his fingers through the notches, unraveling the tie until he was finally free of it. "Unbutton my shirt."

"I'm not some whore!" I shot out.

He frowned slightly, and with a sudden movement raised his hand to the top button to loosen the first two. "Do the rest."

I huffed at him, unsure whether I liked the manner he spoke to me. I pulled the collar of his shirt towards me, liking the wince of pain that shot across his face as I pulled the back of the collar into his skin. Undoubtedly, he was not used to being treated this way. _Well, he better get used to it._

He shifted himself comfortably on my lap, leaning back slightly as I began to unbutton his cotton dress shirt one by one. He in turn laid a hand over my breast before cupping the front of my bra like a man who grew tired of the sight of it. He stooped downwards, laying kisses over my chest, edging himself around my lace bralette, a tease to show me what was coming next. 

"Take your time," he murmured, as he felt me fumbling with one of his buttons. "We have all night," he breathed, as he darted his eyes up for a moment before it fell to my bra again. He leaned me off the headboard a bit, grabbing a hold of the silver hook to unlatch the bra from around my frame. It hardly had time to drop around me before he opened his mouth wide to encircle my perk breast, kneading it between his mouth with an uncomfortably loud sound. "Sansa," he breathed, after he suddenly raised his head to kiss my lips, cupping his hand at the back of my head to pull me in.

My loins were on fire now, unable to come up with a single thought as he ravished me with his taunt, lustful kisses. He moaned loud, grumbling from the back of his throat as he pulled me down to the bed forcibly. I felt breathless as he tore his shirt away, taking in his sculptured form, the way his muscles bulged from his chest, the tattoos that were itched into his right bicep. I could hardly think when I spotted that familiar scar trailing down the front of his chest. An elated squeal escaped me as I fondled the scar, feeling the connection to my Petyr grow stronger suddenly.

“You have it too," I cried, and without thinking I eagerly cemented a kiss to the top of it, detwrmined to make my way down in spite of his silent protests. He was forced to lean back as I wrapped my hands around his solid frame, probbing his scar with kiss-swollen lips. "Sansa," he chided, but I only dug my nails into his back more, holding onto the only thing that was real- the thing that reminded me of _him_.

“Seven Hells, Sansa. What is it?” he exclaimed, as he fell against the bed reluctantly, his sense of balance lost when I crawled on top of him with my nails bared into the grooves of his pelvic muscles, ready to pull down his damned pants without a second thought.

I zipped down the jeans of his pants, cupping my hand over his bulge greatfully. For a moment my grief was forgotten, as if the real Petyr was here with me. It was quickly shattered when I caught his inked arm raise in front of my face, laying his hand flat against my cheek to study me. "What is it?" he asked again.

 _You're not him,_ I wanted to scream. _And you never will be._

"I can make you feel better," he reminded me in a low raspy voice. He licked the top of his lip quickly, making it moist and pink as he opened it slightly. "I can make you feel whole."

"You can't."

"You want me inside you," he relayed with a knowing gaze. "Need me inside."

"No," I said in a small voice, less convincing than I had hoped.

"No," he hushed, lips just hovering over mine again. "Or yes?"

 _He's playing me like a toy,_ I thought, already finding my body instinctively molding to his own. 

He tilted his chin downward as he caught my left hand craddling his toned bicep, trailing my finger along the squared geometric pattern that wandered across his skin. It was neat and orderly, and yet there was something roguish and mischievous about the design. 

"He never had this?” he asked, as his hand slinked around me like a cunning snake, enrapturing my frame before he pulled me down to the bed.

“No, never," I confessed, after he removed his jeans with a sense of urgency. It became a crumpled ball in seconds, tossed to the side of his room before he fondled the front of his boxers wearily. 

“I got in when I dropped out of school,” he chuckled under his breath. “Those were the days.”

“Your so different from him,” I observed, much to his annoyance. He crawled out of bed in front of me, shedding his boxers with a wicked look. There was a curl of his mouth as he watched me, knowing I had seen it before but it looked so different on him. 

“I hope I’m better," he uttered, once he caught the blush quickly spreading across my cheeks. "Like what you see?"

"I-I," I stammered out. He crawled back into bed, brushing the blankets aside as he made his way towards me. "He must have been patient," he grumbled, as he went on top of me. "Because I am running out of mine."

“He was-"

My words were cut off as he savegely dug his fingers into my panties to claw it off. Lips roughly swallowing mine, ignoring my panted breaths as he dug in for more.

My legs grinded against him, morphing my body into his own as I spread my hips wider for him. _I want it,_  I realized, finding every part of my body reacting like it used too. He was growling like an animal as he bit into my neck, dismissing my sharp moans as he marked his territory. I tried to roll him over, but he was quick to pin me down, thrusting himself inside of me before I could move again. I yelped, a cry that resounded across the room as he opened me up like a cork bottle, charging his way through like a bull, until I found myself breatlessly panting as he made me come.

“That’s it,” he grunted. Fucking me violently, making me wheeze as I pressed my face into the side of his neck. _Oh God, I can't!_

 _A bandage over a wound,_ I small voice whispered in the back of my head. My conscience ever present even when I was approaching my first orgasm.  _A temporary relief, but I’ll still have a scar._

“Sansa,” a voice whispered next to my ear. He moved his sweaty face away slightly, a tightness came across his face as he continued to dig in. “I’m right here.”

“I know," I moaned, before I let out another elated squeal, quickly falling against the bed again as he forced himself on me more.

“And I’ll make you feel better,” he slyly said. His mouth was open wide as he took me in, smothering out my sounds with rushful kisses. _Oh god_ , I thought, as he payed particular attention to my lips, making me realize just how much my own Petyr lacked in the area. He heard the pleasant sound that escaped me, and I felt his smile rub against my smooched lips. "You like that?"

I answered him with my own, quite forgetting who I was in bed with, as I took on a more wicked gesture, pressing my tongue against his wantongly. He was quicker to react, lifting his mouth slightly away so we could do a teasing dance without our lips ever meeting the other. He was sinful that was clear, shameless in his actions as he whispered a litany of dirty things under his breath. He knew I was caught of guard as I batted my eyes at him nervously, taking the opportunity to ravish me again with his smooth, skillful actions in bed.

"You feel so good," he confessed, as he steadily put me on a high.

If he expected me to be tight he was mistaken. My Petyr made sure that would never be the case. Still, this ghost of a shadow, this man who wore the face of my lover fit perfectly like a lock to its key.

"So good," he moaned, tireless from his movements as he came into me. He seemed to be more affected then I was this time, half closing the lids of his eyes as the feeling hit him too.

He tried to hold on to the high, but eventually we fell. He grumbled low realizing he made me reach my peak, and that it was possible for me to come down after all. "Better?" he sighed far from my face, now pressing his own into the pillow tiredly.

“A little.”

He tilted his head slightly, catching a strange look in my eye. He pecked my lips softly, wanting to see my eyes glimmer again. "Now?”

“Just stay with me,” I pleaded, before I shut my eyes and nuzzled my face against him. “Stay _Petyr_.”

I was addressing both Petyr's, but the man who was burrowed inside of me even more. He knew this, and thanked me with a heartfelt kiss, one that made me quickly press my hands into the back of his head to hold onto him for a moment longer. “I won’t leave you,” he said in a low tenor, brushing his fingers across the side of my face. “Ever.”

“That’s what he said,” I whimpered, and instantly regretted it once I saw the pained expression fall upon his face like a gloomy shadow.

“Well, I won’t." He proved it by forcing me out of my pitied state, rolling me over the bed repeativedly in a half playful manner. A small laugh escaped me, so he rubbed the sides of my temples deftly with his fingers before he leaned in to cover my mouth with his lips soundly.

Chest rubbed against chest, thigh against thigh, and soon enough he was coming in for more as he settled himself inside of me with a gleeful look of desire. I was more than eager to do it again, liking the laugh lines that creased around his eyes as he studied me. "Better," he assented, after he teasingly let his finger glide up my inward thigh in a wavy pattern. He was no longer a band-aid, he was a needle stitching up my wounds at a steady pace.

“Tell me you love me,” he said in a strangely sentimental tone of voice, half shaking from the sudden thrust he forced into me. “Say my name.”

“Petyr,” I wheezed, finding my neck was stretched out all the way from the high he was giving me. My toes pointed upwards, jabbing against his as I let out low frantic breaths.

“Say it,” he breathed. “Just this once.”

“Petyr, I love you,” I cried, and grabbed a hold of his face to smother it with kisses. “I will _always_ love you." He paused for a moment, hearing me sniffle into his cheek as I tried to hold back wasteful tears.

"Sansa?"

“Not one heart beat... will I forget."

“Oh, Sansa,” he said in a soft voice, and dragged a thumb across my cheek to catch a stray tear. “I did try.”

“No, you made it better,” I assured him and pressed my lips to his to prove it. “Thank you.”

He blinked at me slowly, and after some time let his eyes fall down to the bed. He looked sullen, a thing that I didn’t want to see for him. Brushing his hair away from his face I leaned forward to kiss him on the lips again, stretching out to the fullest until he tumbled into my arms. _He really does care for me,_ I realized, as he began to make love to me at a soothing pace

I closed my eyes and let myself fall into this momentary bliss, and like a falling star I fell straight into his arms.

 


	3. New Person, Same Old Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By the morning afterwards, Sansa wants to come to terms with this new Petyr, but he leaves her little time to figure things out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This title is taken from the Tame Impala's "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" I suggested two chapters ago. The lyrics to this song still ridiculously apply to Petyr and Sansa's situation. 
> 
> [Chorus]  
> Feel like a brand new person  
> (But you'll make the same old mistakes)  
> I don’t care I’m in love  
> (Stop before it’s too late)
> 
> [Bridge]  
> Man, I know that it's hard to digest  
> But maybe your story ain’t so different from the rest  
> And I know it seems wrong to accept  
> But you've got your demons, and she's got her regrets
> 
> Feel free to give it a listen while reading this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

There was a rush of running water when I woke up, trickling down the bathtub and swirling down the drain. I moved around my bed a little, not wanting to open my eyes just yet. The sheets smelled like him, musky with a faint metallic scent. There was not a hint of mint, a thing that made me pout slightly before I finally opened my eyes. His side of the bed was empty, crumbled and tangled together in a tight ball. The bed stand by his side was empty, his clothes still spread across the foot of the bed or on the floor.

I heard the water take a different direction, undoubtedly splashing across his body as he took a hot shower. I sat up a little, turning my head to the bathroom door, wondering if I should get dressed before he came out the shower. _Am I ready for that kind of intimacy,_ I wondered, as I drew the last of the blanket over my bare breasts. The water shut off suddenly, a faint cough echoed inside of the bathroom. I spread out across the bed and rolled to my right side, shifting myself slightly to see the digital clock on my mobile device.

“Damn!” I cursed and sat up fully to quickly scan for my clothes. I was going to be late for the first meeting of the day, and the last thing I needed was people to talk. While Petyr was still making noises in the bathroom as he moved across the tiled floor, I got out of bed and walked over to my rotating closet. _I have to do my laundry,_ I surmised, after I found there was only two white scientific outfits left. I was about to reach for the one closest to me when I was startled by a sudden knock on the front door.

There was silence in the bathroom as if Petyr heard, and I let out a quick gasp before I ran over to the bed and threw on the easiest thing I could find at the moment- Petyr’s shirt. He opened the bathroom door with a pleased expression, grinning from ear to ear as he caught the shortness of his shirt on me. “My, this is a good morning,” he said in a low tenor, grey-green eyes sparkling the longer he looked at me. I swallowed hard under his heated gaze, making sure to keep enough space between us as he inched his way closer.

The pounding on the door grew louder, so I took one last look at Petyr half covered with my bath towel before I ran for the door.

“Hey Sansa,” my brother said, with a look of concern. “Is everything alright?” he added, after he noticed my determination to keep the door ajar.

“Yeah, its fine,” I lied. “What’s wrong?”

“I heard what happened last night. I thought- I worried…” he paused to wear that deep brooding look of his again. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“I do.”

“Oh,” he said with a look of surprise. There was a moment of silence as he considered it, and only then did he take in the wrinkled dress shirt that I was wearing that barely covered me. “Sansa,” he breathed, as his eyes scanned the openness of the shirt that left nothing to the imagination. “Is someone in there with you?”

“No,” I quickly shot back.

Jon’s dark brown eyes burrowed into mine, trying to make out the lie that was I desperately trying to hold back. “He’s in there with you, isn’t he?” he finally asked, and the brief period of me closing the lids of my eye in defeat confirmed it.

“Come in,” I drearily said, and pushed the door wider for him to enter the room. He stalked his way in, taking in the chaotic scene around him: clothes were tossed all over the floor, the bed so rumpled it looked like it had been in good use, but it was Petyr standing in the center of the room idly scratching the back of his shoulder as he looked at the dark-haired man that ultimately made things worse.

“You got to be kidding me,” Jon said under his breath, and only then did he direct his gaze to me. I was left speechless as I felt the weight of Jon’s judgement in his astute-like eyes.

The soft treading of feet across the hardwood floor made us both look up, Petyr was now standing between us with his back perfectly straight in a slightly intimating manner. “Is something the matter?” he drawled in a threatening tone of voice.

Jon narrowed his eyes at the man, grieved at the fact that Petyr was now standing in front of me with a protective stance. Petyr was not a tall man, he was most likely an inch or two shorter than me, but he bore an intimidating presence as he stared at my brother.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Jon rebutted, and immediately the tension rose between them.

“It depends on what you _want,_ ” Petyr answered him, and I could have sworn his shoulders rounded to make him look larger than he was.

“I want to know what you are doing with my sister,” Jon finally relayed.

Petyr looked around the room deliberately, half smiling at the mess we made the night before. “I think it’s fairly obvious.”

Jon’s face remained emotionless, but the darkness of his eyes said it all. As much as he wanted to deny it, it was clear the man who stood in front of his sister had just fucked his sister. Jon crossed his arms tightly over his chest, brooding some more as he looked at the dishevelled sheets across his bed. “You couldn’t even wait twenty-four hours,” Jon mumbled under his breath, before he turned his gaze at me. “Sansa, I want to speak to you alone.”

“Another time,” I answered him, feeling my half-nakedness and the stickiness between my thighs was not the best time to sit down and have a conversation with my brother.

“Whatever you have to say to her,” Petyr piped up. “You can say to me.”

“Fine,” Jon eagerly shot back. “I want you to have nothing to do with my sister.”

“Is that all?” Petyr said in a sarcastic voice. “I expected something better than that.”

Jon was not the smartest sibling in the family, and the Stark blood that ran through his veins unfortunately made him prone to stubbornness and a quick temper. My brother was like a firecracker, igniting without a second notice, so when he grunted loud and charged at Petyr I knew what was coming next. Jon arms stretched out to take hold of the man, but Petyr unexpectedly reacted faster than him and blocked the two blows from my brother with perfect ease before he slugged him in the face.

Jon made a painful noise as he flew to the floor backwards, landing on the floor back-first before the rest of his body soon followed. “Petyr!” I cried out with annoyance, before I ran to my brother to see if he was okay.

“He came at me first,” Petyr droned with indifference, as he brushed his wet bangs away from his face.

“I’m going to kill him,” Jon groaned as he laid on the ground, pressing the palm of his hand over his right eye. _Here we go again,_ I thought, as I tried to coax my brother into a more manageable state. I heard Petyr’s light steps treading away from us, but I was too preoccupied for carrying for my brother to care.

“Stay still,” I protested, and pushed his large chest down to the floor so I could examine the wounds. He lowered his hands slightly, and already I could see some severe bruising around his right eye.

The crunching of plastic over my head made me look up, a bag of green beans hovered over my head before Petyr placed into my hands. “It will help with the swelling,” he uttered, and pointed to Jon’s eye that was blackening by the second. “It’s the only thing I could find in your freezer.”

“Thanks,” I said in a small voice, and wrapped it around with a small kitchen towel Petyr handed to me before I applied it to my brother’s face. I felt the dress shirt draw up, revealing the whole of my ass, but since Petyr saw it already I thought there was no point in making a fuss about it. Perhaps I was wrong, for Petyr suddenly covered himself in the front as he went around my brother and I, searching for his clothes.

“What do you see in him?” my brother whispered. He pressed the frozen peas over his face more as he blinked at me through his left eye. “You deserve better.”

“We only get what we think we deserve,” I rebutted. “And I love him, something you will never understand.”

“No,” he grievously said, while he rose his back off the floor. “I won’t.”

Petyr appeared in our line of sight with boxers on, and his silk tie in hand. “Sansa you should take a shower,” he suggested. “I can take care of your brother.”

“You hit him,” I pointed out. “I hardly think it’s a good idea to leave the two of you alone together.”

“He won’t hit me again,” he said flatly, and eyed my brother in a threatening manner to show he meant it.

Jon patted me on my arm to get my attention. “It’s okay, San. I’ll leave.”

“Jon I’m sorry,” I quickly apologized, as he got off the floor. He waved a hand at me, intent on dismissing my presence as he headed for the door. “Petyr, tell him your sorry.”

“I’ll do no such thing,” he answered me with a cunning look. The cross of his arms showed me his determination, so I went away from him to wish my brother goodbye.

“I’ll see you after the meeting,” I assured him, and was almost heartbroken when he gave me a chilling look as he went away. _He’s angry with me,_ I noted, _and he hates Petyr even more now._

“Really?” I cried out, after I slammed the front door. “You had to hit him like that?”

“Yes. And be happy I only punched him once.”

“You are so…”

A smug appeared across his face, the longer I considered the right word to use for him. “So, what?” he asked from the back of his throat. His steps were slow and steady as he approached me, his tongue just slipping out of his lips as he glared at me. He pressed his hands on the sides of my waist suddenly, lifting me into the air despite my maddening cry and without a second moment he was carrying me back to bed. “Petyr!” I yelled, as I slammed balled fists into his broad back. He laughed at that, taking advantage of my anger by tilting his head upwards and swallowing my lips whole. I let out a grievous grunt, but he payed it no mind, only quickening his kisses as he dropped my feet on the foot of the bed. I was towering over him now, the significant height difference forced me to stoop forward to continue our long-lasting kisses. _He’s like a drug,_ I realized, as his hands slithered up my dress shirt. _And I’ll never have my fill of it._

“Better?” he asked, after he straightened my back, so I could stand over him again. His hands feverishly went up and down my legs as I considered the matter, ignoring the tantalizing heat that trailed over my calves and round the sides of my thighs.

“You shouldn’t have done that!”

“No,” he droned. “But he will think twice before he touches me again.” He chuckled under his breath as he trailed wavy lines at the fronts of my thighs. “I take it _your_ Petyr and him didn’t get along.”

“He drew a dagger at Jon, and then followed it with his personal guard shooting him with a tranquilizer. So no, they never got along.”

“And you are angry at me for punching him,” he laughed, before he stood up on the bed and pushed me to walk into the center of it. His hands went inside of the dress shirt again at the bottom, pulling it up slowly as he kissed the curve of my hips and the center of my stomach. Tossing it to the corner of his bed, he circled large hands around the bottom of my back, breathing me in like a fresh essence before he drew his lips to the curved crevice between my breasts. _He can’t stop,_ I thought to myself. _But neither can I._

There was something dangerous in his rough, sultry touches; the way my mint body wash lathered his skin and made him so intoxicating that my knees were already crumpling over. I wanted to drown in him last night, but now I feared I wanted to be consumed by him. My skin stung as his nails dug into me, marking sharp lines down my back as he bit into my bottom lip. I shuddered at his touch, finding the bottom half of me grinding against his center without realizing it, already my body was demanding to be blemished and corrupted by him, as if he was some forbidden fruit. He never said my name, not a word escaped his lips as we both tumbled to the bed, creating a crater in the center of the bed as he plowed into me. My hands were in the air, trying to grasp at anything I could as he worked himself inside me. “He never fucked you like this,” he remarked, as he slid our bodies up the bed. He knew what he was doing, knowing the right spots to touch me, the right words to say to keep me begging for more.

“Oh, god! Right there,” I screamed, closing my eyes in pure ecstasy. I couldn’t stop, and I didn’t want him to either. We were bound together now, like two soiled cloths that were discarded by others. He was ruining me, making me say things that should have never escaped my mouth.

 _Is this really Petyr,_ I thought, as he spread my legs apart. I was leaning against the headboard now, head dropping from exhaustion after he had his way with me. I could barely put two thoughts together as he leaned my head back to the headboard again, pressing his lips to the sides of my cheek greedily. “I’m going to taste you now,” he breathed. “I’m going to make you beg for it.”

I grunted in reply, while I brushed my bangs away from my sweaty forehead. I couldn’t move, and even if I wanted to Petyr had securely pinned me against the headboard with his large hands arresting each leg.

If I thought I had screamed before I was mistaken, for the moment I felt his mouth entered my core I was so loud my throat felt raspy and hoarse. My legs rocked against him, buckling against his head and still he prodded his tongue inside me. Still, he lathered his tongue against me as I fell back into the bed with my hips pointed to the ceiling. Still, he enjoyed himself as I wailed and moaned after he dug his fingers inside me for more. I felt the world go black for a moment, threating to explode, and just when I couldn’t take anymore of it he shoved his cock into me and took me for a ride. I don’t remember anything after that, just a series of whimpers and groans as he had his way with me, and by the end of it I laid flat against the bed chest first with my head burrowed into a pillow.

“I told you he was soft,” he murmured, as he raised himself from the bed. I heard him flap out his boxers and the hush sound of legs pushing its way through the soft cotton material. Another sound of jeans knocking against the floor was heard, and the sharp grating sound of the zipper soon followed. He returned to my bed eventually, fully dressed and looked like he was ready for the day. “You should take a shower,” he pointed out, but I was too physically exhausted to move. Simply raising my leg shot up pain inside of me, and I thought it best to stay where I was for now. “You’re not getting up?”

“I can’t.”

“He never went deep enough,” he blankly said, before he took a seat at the side of my bed. “You may want to take something just in case.”

“In case of what?”

“You get pregnant,” he drawled out with an air of indifference.

The thought of me carrying Petyr’s child made me sad, a thing that never entered my mind until now. _If_ _only,_ I thought, and let out a reluctant sigh.

“Do you want me to stay?”

“That would be nice,” I annoyedly rapped out. “That would be the decent thing to do.”

“Right,” he answered me, as he adjusted his silk tie. “Sure, I can do that.”

“Cover me with the blankets,” I told him, suddenly feeling a chill now that his body had left me. “And could you make me some coffee.”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“Thank you.” I nuzzled my aching head into the pillow, marvelling at the pain that was still felt inside of me. _Gods, how deep did he go?_

The shuffling of his feet could be heard as he explored my kitchen, opening cupboards and doors as he searched for instant coffee and cups. He was quiet, but I suppose he always was that way. _He’s like a_ _cat,_ I thought, as his light movements barely reached my ears. Eventually my bedroom smelled like fresh coffee, the aroma of toast was added to it once the toaster popped. “Jam or butter?” he asked suddenly, forcing me to lift my head in his direction.

“Jam.” _I need something sweet,_ I mused, feeling my entire body aching as I adjusted myself to see the kitchen better. Fortunately for me, my room was open concept, so I could see Petyr at work as he set two mugs down on the tray and poured the coffee to the rim. He asked me whether I liked cream or sugar, and after that how many teaspoons of sugar I usually added. This new Petyr was attentive to my needs, but he seemed to do it without feeling. I sighed at the realization of that, noting that there was no love in Petyr’s eyes as he placed the tray on the bed beside me. _If it isn’t love than what is it?_

“You should eat something,” he proposed, as he leveled the plate to the bed beside my head. “I know you don’t feel like it but-”

“Thank you, Petyr.”

He nodded his head slightly, lifting his own plate of toast into his lap as he took a seat beside me. “How do you feel?”

“Pain.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“You will,” he said matter of factly before he took a bite of his toast.

“How did you learn how to do that?”

“What?”

“That,” I replied, and pointed at the sore spot between my legs, even though it was covered by a multitude of blankets.

“I went to whorehouses a lot.” He shrugged his shoulders as if it was an everyday thing. “They taught me a thing or two.”

_Petyr owned a brothel in Elisium, and this one was an avid clientele. Which one do I prefer right now?_

“What are you thinking?”

“How much I’ve been missing out,” I admitted, before I covered my cheek with my free hand.

“Your telling me,” he shot out with a mischievous curl of the lip. “So, I take it you’ll let me stay?”

“Stay?”

“Here, I mean.”

“Oh,” I mouthed. “Yeah, I suppose.”

“It’s better than that den you gave me,” he replied, as he brushed a few crumbs off his shirt. “And I’m not used to sleeping alone.”

“Ever?”

“If I can have a bed warmer I will. It’s normal where I’m from. No strings attached, that kind of thing.”

“Oh,” I answered him, unsure what to say at that moment.

“So, how long were you and Petyr together?”

“Four days.”

He coughed violently, slamming his fist into his chest after the coffee went down the wrong throat. He cleared his throat after a few seconds, making a distasteful look as he set the mug down on the bed stand. “Four days!”

“Just about.”

“Seven Hells! And your so hung up on him?”

“I spent all four days with him,” I pointed out. “And we went through a lot together.”

“Oh, I’ve heard that before,” he arrogantly said.

“We were stranded on a planet,” I explained. “Hunted by aliens. Attacked by killer robots from Vasken, and then his ex-wife showed up with an army of highly complex A.I. to kill us!”

“Really?” he said with disbelief.

“Yes, really! And its true! Just ask anyone on this ship.”

He rubbed his mustache thoughtfully. “Alright, let’s say that this is all true. You still expect me to believe you fell in love with him after four days?”

“Yes.”

“And he felt the same way.”

“Yes!” I shouted as I slammed my hand down into the bed. “Why don’t you believe me?”

“I think it all sounds absurd, that’s all.” He reached over for his mug and took a large gulp, before he set it down on the table again. “So, are you in love with me now?”

“No,” I said too quickly, surprised to see the frown that threatened to come across his face. “You’re nothing like him.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“You have his face, and that’s all.” I took a small sip from the mug, swirling it around my mouth before I finally swallowed it. Petyr was avoiding eye contact with me, obviously to deep in thought to pay attention to me now.

“So, where will this go?”

“I don’t understand.”

“I saw this as just another hook-up, but clearly you felt more.”

“I’d say you saw it more than that,” I argued. “Considering what you said last night.”

“Yes, I did get awfully sentimental, didn’t I?” He stroked his bottom chin, as if he once had facial hair there. “A rarity for me, believe me.”

“I expect you are cold and calculating,” I mused aloud. “Or at least, that’s what you want people to think.”

“I care for nobody but myself.”

“And another point for _my_ Petyr.”

“I don’t give a damn what point you give to him. He’s dead! No point bringing him up every second.”

“What is wrong with you?” I shouted. I dropped my toast down on the plate and rolled away from him, not wanting to be around this cold-hearted bastard any longer.

“You’re just as soft as he is,” he remarked. “No wonder the two of you belonged together.” He slipped off the side of the bed and went over to the kitchen table to sit atop of it. I heard a flinty sound, and when I turned my head he was igniting something that was just pursed between his lips.

“Are you smoking?”

“Relax! It won't set off an alarm or anything. Think of it as spaceship friendly.”

I shook my head at him and forced myself to get out of bed to put away my things. _They’re going to kill_ _me,_ I thought, as I took a glance at the digital clock and realized I was already thirty minutes late. Petyr watched my naked form cross the room keenly, taking long drags from the black thing between his lips. Smoke escaped his mouth in a thick cloud, swirling in the air around him before it floated to the ceiling. “You look good,” he taunted, as he watched me bend over to lift something off the floor. I huffed at him with indignation, before I went over to my rotating closet to retrieve my uniform again.

“I’m taking a shower,” I told him, after I turned around to see him still staring at me. “Don’t leave my room yet.”

“I’ll be here,” he said with half a nod. His legs went wider as he glared at me, enough for me to cover myself with my uniform and scamper off to the bathroom.

* * *

“Seven hells!” I cursed, as I took another lesson from him. _Already we are starting to sound the same,_ I realized, _and look the same too._ The scar across my chest had fully healed, but it was still black and crusted over crudely. _Richards scar was worse,_ I mused, _but considering what happened to Petyr, neither of us should complain._

 _I don’t look any better now,_ I thought, as I looked over my shoulder to see the claw marks down the center of my back. The sides of my waist and hip were affected by Petyr’s rough grasp as well, much to my dismay. _He marked me good._

I rubbed the dry towel over the back of me, wincing slightly from the pain that still was felt over the whole of my back. _I feel worse below,_ I pondered, noticing the sharp nail marks in between my thighs. _He’s like an animal._

I was grateful for the full-piece uniform, even more when I zipped it all the way to my neck. People would talk, but I didn’t need them to talk about the hickeys running down my neck as well. My cheeks went red again, just by the thought of it, making me hesitant to open the bathroom door.

“Ah, finally!” Petyr bellowed, and leaned against the glass window to get a better look at me. “You look all cleaned up.”

“There was much to clean,” I admitted, and walked past him to throw the dirty laundry in the mesh basket. He was following my footsteps eagerly, mimicking my movements foot for foot. I found his hands arrest me from behind, clutching the sides of my waist before he pulled me into my chest.

“You smell good,” he breathed into my neck. His lips pressed against my jawline, forcing my head upward with his fingers as he explored the area further.

“We need to go,” I said with a sudden frankness. “I’m already late for the meeting.”

“You’re the boss, aren’t you?” he droned into my ear. “You call the shots…” he rotated my hips in his direction until I was in front of him. “So, it won’t start until you walk through the door.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“Then maybe you’re not important as you think you are.” He pressed his lip hard against the edge of my jawline. “Power is power.”

“We work as a democracy,” I said through clenched teeth, hating the way I was wriggling beneath his touch.”

“A democracy with a leader?”

“It’s complicated.” I pushed him away lightly, since I could not stand his insistent kisses any longer. “And why do you care?”

“I’m only curious,” he said with a dangerous glimmer in his eyes.

“I’m more curious of how we send you back where you came from.” His mouth opened slightly as I walked away from him. “Are you coming?” I said with a smart roll of the eye as I held open the door. “Or will I have to send you back into your den?”

The left side of his lip dropped downwards, frowning as he took slow strides towards me. He gave me a cold look as he walked past me and remained silent as we strode down the halls together. _He’s nothing_ _like my Petyr,_ I thought for the hundredth time since I saw him in the garden conversation area. _He’s rude,_ I contemplated, _and arrogant, and so self-assured about everything._

 _And he looks at me as if I was a plate of dinner to be consumed._ I looked at him from the corner of his eye, watching him wear that poker face well. His hands were deep in his pockets as he strode beside me, his dress shirt opened just enough to see the marks I made on his neck. Fortunately, it was light enough not to capture anyone’s attention unless they looked close enough.

 _He is so irrating,_ I mused. _I mean, look at him! He walks like he’s the King of the World._

I suddenly found myself back in Petyr’s old office in Elisium, the lime green table glowing beneath the tips of my fingers as I asked him, “So, if you’re a King- does that make me your Queen?”

That momentary trance was shattered when Petyr bumped shoulders with me. “You’re thinking about him again,” he noted, after he inched himself away from me.

“Maybe.”

“I don’t know why you’re so caught up on him?”

“No, and, how could you? You’re just consumed with yourself.”

A wiry smile spread across his face, his fingers rubbing the tops of his mustache amusingly. “You don’t have a very good opinion of me, do you?”

“No.”

“Pity.”

I stopped in my tracks, puzzled by his honest answer. “I don’t understand,” I confessed. “What do you want me to think?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged his shoulders slightly while he jammed his hands into his pant pockets again. “You praise this Petyr of yours to the stars and back and… I don’t know. It gets a little irritating.”

“I’m technically praising you,” I pointed out. “It’s just… you are so different from him. I can’t stop myself from comparing you both.”

“I get it,” he hushed, and took a deliberate step in my space. “I also get that I feel something with you. Like a rope that won’t stop pulling me in.”

“You make me sound like quick sand,” I joked.

“Maybe you are one,” he said in jest. “It’s just weird, you know?” he contemplated aloud, as he lifted his hands out of his pockets and pressed them to either side of my arms. “I don’t like it.”

“Like what exactly?”

“This,” he answered me, before he kissed me hungrily. His hands dropped away from my arms to cup the sides of my cheek, and I could feel that familiar twisting knot inside of me as his lips demanded more. Fortunately for me, he stopped with a sudden jerk of his head backwards. He gazed into my eyes funnily, trying to figure out what the hell was going on between us. “Four days you said?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I don’t have much time left,” he said with a loud swallow. “God, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours yet?” I laughed into the side of his shoulder, happy when he embraced me with an inexplicable tenderness. “What are you doing to me, Sansa Stark?”

“I’ve done nothing,” I honestly said, while he rubbed my back in a soothing manner.

“You’re making me soft,” he grumbled, which only made me laugh louder. “Alright, how about you show me around the place? I need a distraction.”

“A distraction from what?” I slyly asked and rubbed my thumb along his chin to aggravate him further.

“Fucking you into oblivion,” he spat out. “Let’s go,” he growled, and tugged my hand hard to lead me down the empty hallway. _Oh, this will be fun,_ I thought, as I followed his confident swagger. _Things will definitely get interesting from here on out._

 


	4. Dolus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Petyr and Sansa start to reach their destination they are forced to learn about the planet Dolus, and the dangers that lie on the planet's surface.

“Glad to see you guys could make it,” Richards said in a sarcastic voice the moment Petyr and I walked into the meeting room. Richards had his arms crossed as he took one long look at us, the rest of Plegethon Council turned in their seats to catch a glimpse. “It’s only been an hour and a half.”

“Something came up,” I lied, and went past the rows of chairs to take my usual spot in the front of the room. Petyr followed close behind me, taking in the faces of each of the councilmen and women with care. It was the usual set of people: the founders of Plegethon sat in grave silence as they watched their former leader pass them by. _They look like they've seen a ghost._

The room was silent, aside from a fan on the ceiling that was spinning with a small ticking from the tremendous pace. I leaned forward to turn off the hover monitor, not liking the bright lights shining in front of my face.

Richards took a small step back, feeling he no longer needed to be the center of attention now that I was in the room. I felt the weight of their gaze as the council members flickered their eyes between Petyr and I. _They are worried,_ I realized, a thing fairly obvious when Andrews covered his mouth with a stunned expression. _And so they should, considering how dangerous this new Petyr is._

I turned my head to Petyr and he gave me a lazy smile, tilting his head downwards to shield the thoughts that were running through his mind. I turned my head back to the rectangular table, catching Mariam’s slyful glance in his direction. I found my hand tightening behind my back, clutching the other one in pure jealousy. Richards who was behind me noticed this sudden tenseness and took a step forward with his hand resting on my shoulder. “I think you should begin,” he hushed, and gave me a friendly smile before he took a step back. 

 _I never wanted this_ , I thought, as I scanned the entire room to find them waiting for me to begin. _This should have been Petyr’s job, but now I’m the one left to lead these people back home._ I flickered the monitor back on with a switch of a button and quickly punched in my password for the session to start. 

“By 22:00 hours we should reach the planet of Dolus,” I declared to the room. “Dolus, as you know was specifically selected by the late President of our Council. He did not provide enough information to explain the reasons for his choice, but as you all know… Petyr always knew what was best for us. And so, we are flying through the last of this galaxy to reach the dark dimension, a place so abandoned that human beings have not surveyed this area for the past five years. Yes, the same amount of time that many of you have been stranded on Plegethon.”

There was a hush murmuring among the people, so I raised my hand to silence them. “Before we go any further I would like to introduce you to the newest members of our council. There is Gabriela Grunwald, a highly experienced engineer with an expertise in designing space shuttles. She is to replace Damian Richards who has served us well, as you all know. Unfortunately, his hand…” I paused to turn my gaze in his direction mournfully. “Has hindered his ability to design such crafts, and so with his guidance and knowledge, he will work closely with Grunwald to design shuttle crafts that will take our people off the planet off Dolos and to take them back home.”

A round of applause was heard, the people were evidently pleased by this discovery. _They want to go home,_ I noted, _but not all of us will be able too_. I found my gaze falling on Mariam, knowing she was thinking the exact same thing. _We aren’t so lucky. We have to take down Vasken first._

“Those of you who aren’t familiar with Diego Bachalo,” I pointed out, and nodded my head in his direction. “I hope you will give him a warm welcome. Bachalo will take over Kong’s place, and lead the security team down to the planet Dolus once we arrive. He will deliver a presentation once I am done, and will detail his directory to keep everyone on board this ship safe.”

I moved to the right, making sure I was out of the hovering screen that displayed the neon purple planet before I addressed the man beside me. “And now I have the privilege to introduce the man who has been claiming all of your attention. Petyr Baelish! The man who we have miraculously picked up on a dead shuttle craft, and against all odds have managed to find his way into our dimension.”

“And what a fine dimension it is,” Petyr joked, which made the entire room break out in applause. He raised his hand to thank them, before he leaned against the front of the table to address the room. “This has been quite a journey over the last several days, but I’m thankful that you guys were able to find me. My crew and I are indebted to you.” He turned his head in my direction and added, “And to Miss. Sansa Stark particular.”

 _What’s he playing at_ , I wondered, as he shot me a cunning grin. 

“I can see…” he boasted, as he waved his hands in the air to get the council members attention. “Why your Petyr was so willing to choose Miss. Stark as your director. It shows that at least in this dimension…” he paused, to hide the smile that was gradually creeping across his face. “He had some wits about him.”

“Lord Baelish was very clever!” Andrews piped up. He was seated in the front row, his hand rubbing across the narrow space of table that was just beside the switch screen that controlled the hover screen. His back was to the glass window, casting a silvery white glow just behind him. “And if you are anything like him than I would think-”

“That I was the same,” Petyr cut in, and then he let his maddening smile grow full strength. “Those were my thoughts exactly.”

“I think…” Mariam shouted out from the end of the table. “That we should have this new Petyr as a part of our council.”

Emerson tutted under his breath, before he raised his tweed newsboy hat off his head. “We know nothing about him!”

“He’s Petyr,” Maraim rebutted. “Isn’t that enough!”

There was a low murmuring throughout the room now. Petyr moved off the table, strategically taking small steps back until he was by my side. He casted his eyes over each of the council members faces, trying to tell who his friend or foe could be. His eyes landing on me at the end, obviously realizing that it was my opinion that truly mattered. “There is no need to be alarmed,” Petyr bellowed out to the room. “I did not come here to be your leader, nor did I seek to be a part of your council. I admit that would be a great honour, but a man like me is unworthy of such a thing.”

“Nonsense!” Mariam shouted out. “You belong here, just as much as our Petyr.”

“Thank you, Mariam,” he said in a soothing voice, letting his face soften significantly as he uttered it. “But I have come here to merely be an observer.” 

The council’s attention instantly fell on me when Petyr turned his back to them, cleverly leaning against the pearl white table as he laid his hand over the front of my shoulder. “It’s time you take the lead,” he hushed, although it was loud enough for everyone to hear it.

 _It’s just a game to him,_ I realized, as I stared into his impenetrable eyes. _If he thinks I don’t know what he’s doing than he’s mistaken._

“This is a democracy, Petyr,” I stated in a clear voice. “And if we want you to be a part of our council than we should decide together.”

“Naturally.”

“I am glad you understand,” I quipped, and moved away from his tightening grasp to flick on the screen. The screen revealed a blurry photograph of Dolus, a circular planet with blue clouds hovering over a neon purple surface. This was never my area of expertise, so I called Mariam to the front to give the planet a proper introduction. 

“Not much is known about this planet,” Mariam said in somber tone of voice. “But much of what we do know is not good. They say the stars have been dying around the planet for a while now, and the planet itself seems to be deteroraiting at a gradual pace. They think this part of the galaxy is very old, much older than the one we’re from.”

She turned her gaze to meet Petyr. “And a lot older the one Petyr and I are from as well.”

He offered her a fake smile, a thing that made me direct my gaze away from the both of them. “I think you all should know that this planet was temporary colonized by Vasken,” she confessed, and lowered her head to the table with a guilty expression. “Petyr thought it best to keep it from you, in case you all decided to turn the ship around and head somewhere else. But he chose Dolus for a reason, and I think we should maintain our course.”

“Lots of planets were colonized by Vasken,” Doctor Wong pointed out. “How is this any different?"

“Dolus was never intended for human colonization.”

“Then what was it for?” Bachalo asked and leaned into his seat to align himself further with the doctor beside him. 

Mariam looked at me for approval and with a slight nod of the head I let her continue, “It was for scientific experiments.”

“Like- like,” Andrews stammered out nervously. “Like those A.I.’s that Petyr was building.”

“No, not really,” Mariam confided, and shifted comfortably from her right leg to her left. “Sansa, perhaps you should-”

“Biological,” I cut in. “They wanted to integrate A.I. intelligence into human beings.”

Mariam flicked the slide to the next one, interacting with the hovering monitor in her hands to zoom in on a certain blond-haired doctor amongst his Vasken comrades. “This is David,” she explained, with a sad smile. “He was a Professor of mine in my academy days. I worked with him closely to complete my graduate studies.”

Mariam zoomed out the photograph just slightly to show another familiar face in the image. “This is Petyr. He was a graduate student too. We worked in the same department for a while before he branched out to purely automated Artificial Intelligence. He was more interested in constructing them from scratch.” She turned her gaze to the ghost of the man beside me, taking in the stark contrast from the man in the photograph who appeared so clean-cut and precise to the one who was now pulling out a chair to sit on, letting his grimy boots rest on the edge of the table daringly. 

“I was more interesting in integrating technology into humans,” she murmured, as she lifted her gaze from him. “But like all things that comes with a price.”

“What do you mean?” I piped up, now clueless to where she was going with this.

“Petyr had memories that haunted him, but so did I.” She flicked off the monitor to let the room fall into complete darkness. “There are worse things than Jane out there.”

The room lights sensed the darkness and gradually turned on, the ticking of the timer was heard in the far end of the room. “Jane?” Petyr piped up, and shifted his seat in his seat to take a better look at me. “Who’s Jane?”

“She was your wife,” I said gravely, and then moved away from him to switch on the monitor. I could feel his inquisitive stare, half startled by the words that I had just said. He was leaning out of his seat now, dropping his boots to the floor to get to his feet. “You don’t believe me?”

“I was married,” he exclaimed, and flipped off the monitor so I could pay attention to him.

“I thought there was enough information already going around,” I admitted. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

“Is there anything else I need to know?” He shrugged his shoulders in disbelief. “Because so far I just found out I used to build robots, and that I was married to someone who you clearly didn’t like.”

“I never knew her,” I acknowledged, and flicked the monitor back on so I could continue.

“Okay?” he mouthed, and scratched the back of his neck in confusion. “But you don’t like her.”

“Of course, I don’t like her, she was-"

Petyr took a hold of my arm, pinning me against his chest despite my silent protests. “What was she, Sansa?”

I bit down at my lip, wishing we could have this sort of conversation somewhere else. "I've told you all of this before," I breathed out frantically, as the tightness around my arms continued. 

"You said I had an ex-wife but..." Petyr loosened his grip slightly, though his eyes remained the same austere expression as before. "You never told me who it was."

"It was Jane," I explained. "The same woman who is responsible for that scar on your chest. The same one who..." I shook my head violently, unable to control the emotions that was surging inside of me. "Is responsible for your death."

"I see."

"Can we talk about this later?" I pleaded, and looked over his shoulder to see the worrisome looks from the Plegethon Council. "I'm sorry. I should have told you everything, but I thought- I thought it was too soon." I laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly while I added, "For the both of us."

"It's not like we had much time to talk anyways," he said with a harmless grin. "Continue, Sansa," he suggested, and released his grip from me to take a seat ontop of the table. He didn't care that he was blocking everyone's view, he just shot me a wicked grin while he spread his legs wide open for Mariam and I to see. _He's certainly unpredictable,_ I mediated, as I forced my eyes to steer away from him. I caught Richards stony expression in the corner of the room after he crossed his arms at me. _He wants us to behave_ , I noted, _but Petyr is the one who started it._

"I lost my train of thought. Mariam?" I turned my gaze to the half-embarrased woman beside me. "Where were we?"

"I brought up Jane," she sheepishly said. "I was saying there are worse things out there than her."

"That sounds a bit dramatic," Andrews exclaimed while he rested his head over the palm of his hand. He looked half asleep on the table, and if it wasn't for his elbow holding him up he might be fast asleep by now.

"To you it might be," Mariam deliberated. "But for me it is the truth."

"What is worse than an A.I. that is out to kill me," Petyr piped up. His arms were tensely crossed as well, and he seemed to take the matter very personal.

"One that could be half human, half robot."

"Easier to kill," he replied with a large shrug of the shoulder.

"Not neccesarily." She flicked the monitor to show a deformed corpse lying across a hospital bed. "This is Tanice," Mariam informed us. "She was one of many tried and failed experiments of integrating Artificial Intelligence to the human form. We tried everything... even the kinds of experiments that were deemed illegal. It was painful..." she closed the lids of her eyes for a moment. "Gruesome process. It gave us results though, the kind that allows Synthwave to exist today."

"So, whats the problem with Delos?"  Diego asked. "Why do you look so worried?"

"Because we didn't kill all of the failed experiments," she answered him. "They are probably dead by now but what if..."

"They are still alive," I cut in. "That could put our ship in danger."

"Its been over ten years since I worked at that establishment," Mariam reasoned. "But I am not worried about the survivors. I am worried about what they could evolve into-"

"Worst case scenario," Petyr piped up. "It could go the other way. Maybe they don't even exist at all."

"Wishful thinking."

"Logical one."

"Where is the logic in that?" Mariam rapped out, but instantly regretted it the moment it left her lips. "The fact of that matter is there is danger if we do land on Delos."

"Then..." Richards suggested with a raised hand. "We hover over the planets atmosphere."

"We will need to land at some point," I countered. "There may be resources there we can use for our ship and our people. We cannot hide out on Ares forever."

Petyr got to his feet and swivled around to face the council. "Sansa is right! We can't let fear control us."

I turned my gaze to him and offered him a warm smile, unexpectantly taken back by his kind gesture. "Thank you, Petyr."

"I say we go down to the planet and face whatever it is out there."

"Its a sucide mission," Wong exclaimed 

"That's what I said about the Devil's Claw," I answered her. "But I managed to make it out of the planet somehow. It will be the same with this one."

"You're so confident."

"Someone has too!"

Petyr let his hand rest in the center of my back as he addressed the audience. "I believe Sansa is in the right."

I nodded my head in agreement before I blurted out, "I said this is a democracy but in the end I am your _leader_. And I say we go down to that planet and find out why Petyr... the other Petyr wanted us to go there."

The room fell into complete silence, everyone looked around at each other to gather their feelings on the subject matter. Petyr leaned into my ear and whispered in barely a breath, "They're like sheep needed to be told what to do." He leaned his head back and gave me a meaningful look. There was a dangerous glimmer in his eyes, but I found myself agreeing with him. 

"My decision is final," I declared to the room. "Mariam, I expected a full briefing on my desk early tomorrow morning. Richards, tell Captain Ali I want to see him in his office in an hour and I expect you to be in attendance as well. Diego...." I paused once I felt a firmer press in the center of my back from Petyr. _He must be pleased._ "I want confirmation that our security force should be ready by the time we land on Delos. That includes weaponary and security buggies just in case we need a fast exit." I turned my gaze to Petyr as I added, "That is all. This council is dismissed."

"Very good," Petyr hushed in a thin raspy voice. He sat down on the table with his legs wide open in invitation this time. "Very, very good," he murmurred with a slow clap of hands. 

"I know what I"m doing," I answered him, as I avoided everyone else's incessant stares.

The corner of his lip betrayed his feelings as he stared up at me. "You most certaintly do."

"You are dismissed as well, Petyr," I quipped, as I flicked off the monitor. Mariam was still standing beside me, and I wondered why she glared at the pair of us for so long. "Mariam, is there something you need?"

"I think we shouldn't land," she answered me in a soft voice. "I just wanted to say it one last time."

"Your concern shall be considered," I said with indifference, and nodded at the pair of them before I headed out the door. I was hardly out the room when Petyr brushed his shoulder beside me and took his place by my side. 

"So, quick to get rid of me?"

"I thought you wanted to spend some time with Mariam."

"I want to spend it with you," he drawled out most reluctantly. "Command suits you."

"It suits you too."

"Then maybe I should be a part of your council?"

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" I asked with half a roll of the eye. I took him down a wide hallway, the navy blue hallways with a glimmering sheen told me we were heading to the front of the ship. It was the same hallway the other Petyr and I walked down once, when I was lost in the darkness with only his hand to steer me to the Captain's bridge. _It feels like ages ago,_ I wondered, and vaguely felt the touch of his gloved hand resting in mine. 

"Its nicer here," Petyr noted, as his eyes scanned the modern look of this part of the ship. 

"Yes."

"Where exactly are you going?"

"To see Captain Ali."

"Why?"

"I wish to speak to him," I replied without any true feeling. 

"Sansa, look at me." I stopped in my tracks and turned to him with my hands enclasping the other in front of my waist. My eyes were glassy, tender blue with the full strength of my feelings radiating from within them. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"Memories," I mouthed. "All the best memories are with him."

"We can make new ones," he reasoned, as he took a step into my space. 

"Old and new," I laughed nervously. "That's how it will be now, won't it?"

"Past and present," he murmurred. "And a future too."

" I have..." I looked down and focused at the dull black buttons on his dress shirt. "I have to much to worry about to even think of my future."

"Then I'll do it for you," he proposed with a soft touch on the back of my hand. 

"Thank you, Petyr," I answered him, as he leaned forward to tenderly kiss my brow.

* * *

 The door opened on its own accord, Captain Ali poked his head out with a disgruntled look. "Oh, you are here already," he observed, and let the door swing wider for us to come in. Richards was already leaning against the Captain's desk with his arms crossed, a similar expression was on his face as well. _Something is wrong._

"You said an hour," Richards reminded me. "Its been twenty-minutes."

"I had free time."

"The clock doesn't seem to work for you it seems." He let his dark eyes fall over Petyr's entire frame. "Or yours."

"What is it?" I questioned them both. "What has gotten into you, Richards?"

"You were an hour and half late."

"Something came up! I told you this already-"

"But you didn't tell me what happened to your brother," he interrupted.

"That's between the three of us."

"He is under my division, so it concerns me as well." He let his hands fall to his side as he added, "Please tell me you weren't..."

"Weren't what?"

He turned his gaze to Captain Ali, but his friend offered him no help. "I think we both know what you did. The entire council for that matter! Its not as hidden..." he paused to draw a single finger down the length of his neck. "Then you think."

"Oh," I said with an embarrased look. I could feel the heat forming over my cheeks, knowing all to well what he was referring too. 

"Yes, oh." He leaned against the table as he added, "I hope he doesn't get in the way of things."

" _He_ is right here," Petyr droned. 

"You took matters into your own hands at council," Richards continued. "Completely disregarding everything they had to say."

"They're scared!" I yelled out. "I can't make a decision based on their fears."

"You can consider it."

"I did!"

"You were, until he whispered something in your ear."

"I don't need him to tell me what to do," I argued back. 

"No?"

"No!" I barked back, lost in a fury for a moment I didn't even realize how close I was standing in front of him until he laid his hand on my chest. 

"Cool it, Sansa," he murmurred with a look of warning. "I'm just watching your back."

"I don't need you too."

I grunted under my breath before I strode away from him, taking my negative energy to the otherside of the room so I could calm down. _He doesn't know what he is saying._ I rapped my knuckles against the glass window in front of me, still angry at what Richards had just said.

"I understand your concern," Petyr said in a low tone of voice, the shuffling of his feet told me he was addressing the two men. "But Sansa can take care of herself."

"I don't trust you," Richards spat out in ill humour. "And I don't trust your friends either."

"I cannot vouch for their behaviour, but mine will be-"

"You better stay out of it," Richards warned. "I've been hearing stories about you from your little friends. You're just as bad as the dirt I have under my shoes here."

"I don't understand..." Petyr voice faltered for a moment. "Should I not be able to defend myself?"

"We don't have time," Captain Ali interjected, it was loud enough for both men to go quiet for a moment. "Sansa we will enter the planet's orbit in less than twenty-four hours. We need to discuss-"

"I know what we must do," I grunted under my breath. I turned to face the men in the room, taking each under consideration before I ordered, "Let Petyr continue."

"Thank you, Sansa," Petyr slyly said from the corner of his lip. "Go on! Lay out your accusations."

"You smuggle whores."

"Yes."

"Drugs."

"Yes."

"Criminals."

"At a price, but yes."

"You're a moralless bastard."

"I am."

Richards tsked under his breath before he slammed his fist into the table behind him. "And your so bloody proud of it too."

"There is no pride in it, I assure you."

"Sansa, do you see why I am warning you about him?"

"He is no differnet from my old Petyr," I relayed with cold indifference. "He would have taken that road if he chose too."

"No different? Petyr was a highly esteemed scientist. Loved by all his co-workers and friends. He was good, honourable-"

"He was as just as dangerous as this man who stands before us now," I rebutted. "This conversation is over."

"But-"

"Over," I warned in a voice so tense it shook my entire form. "Ali, once you enter Delos' atmosphere send for me. Under no circumstance do we land."

"Yes, Sansa."

"Richards, another word from you and I'll lock you in the brig." I turned on my heels now, and left the two men to talk amongst themselves. Petyr was right behind me, and that was enough to put a lecherous grin on my face. 


	5. Darkness Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa was quick to defend Petyr earlier, but his actions makes her start to regret it. Was she right trusting Petyr so early on, or was she fooled by the mask he so cleverly wore before her?

The lecherous grin soon turned to a biting of a lip, the kind that left a deep indentation when I finally looked over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of Petyr. Surprisingly, he looked at me the same way- a haunting darkness eclipsed the vibrancy of his grey-green eyes, the kind that made me stop dead in my tracks with a wet feeling between my thighs. _Shit,_ I thought, as he coolly strode towards me like a predator surrounding his prey. I felt my jaw tighten, a harsh swallow found its way down my throat as I watched his hands reach towards me and then lay them on both sides of my arms.

“You’re full of surprises,” he hushed, as his eyes traveled downwards, following the silver zipper that separated my uniform. He stopped at my breasts, and I saw the way his jaw constricted for a moment before he released it. He was silent for a moment, closing the lids of his eyes slightly as he kneaded the sides of my arms meditatively. I remained perfectly still, listening to the sounds of our breathing through barely parted mouths. Tension was there, a feeling that mounted in my chest and spread outwards. “So many surprises,” he relayed, once he lifted his chin upwards to glare at me.

“The same could be said of you,” I pointed out.

“Why _did_ you defend me?”

_Someone has too,_ I thought, but I kept that fact to myself. “Because they went to far,” I answered him. “Richards has my best interests at stake, but he doesn’t…” I licked my top lip and tilted my head off to the side to stare at the adjacent wall. “He doesn’t understand what it is like to lose someone you love.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Petyr answered me in a raspy voice. “Neither do I.”

“Hopefully you won’t ever have to,” I relayed in an unsteady voice. A sigh escaped me before I leaned into his chest, and let my hands glide around his sturdy frame. Petyr was warm, a great comfort when I felt so lost and alone, as I was now. _But that doesn’t mean he is good for me,_ a small voice said in my head. Whether he was good or bad isn’t the question, it was more of what I really need right now. _I need a band-aid,_ I mused, as his fingers clutched the soft fabric on the upper part of my waist. _I need to forget everything that ever happened…_

“Focus on me,” he uttered next to my ear. “Nothing else, do you understand?”

“I do,” I submitted like an obedient child. “And I will.”

He lathered the side of my cheek with kisses, not the tender ones that _my_ Petyr used to give; they were greedy, zealously trailing every bit of skin he could find as he leaned me against the wall with his legs spread apart on either side of me. “Petyr,” I reasoned, and forced my hand in between our chest to push him away. “Not now.”

He chuckled briefly, the corner of his mouth curled in a devilish grin as he looked up at me. “Would you like me to find another?”

“What?” I exclaimed and scrunched my lips crudely as I stared into his darkened eyes.

“It’s just…” the corner of his lip went higher as he smiled at me; small dimples graced his cheeks as he considered the next few words carefully. “You can’t keep up.”

“No, I can’t,” I snapped. “Maybe if you just left me alone for an hour or two-”

“Sansa, sweetling,” he cut in. “At the rate you’re going you’ll need more than a couple of hours.”

“Petyr,” I threatened through gritted teeth. “We’ve been at it all night, _and_ this morning!”

“And you’re tired already,” he said with a lazy smile. “And that’s alright…” he stopped to take hold of my hand that was separating the two of us. “All you need is a little endurance.”

“Petyr,” I warned, as he lifted the back of my hand to his lips. “Enough.”

“Come to my place. I want to show you something.”

“You want to show me your bed, that’s all.”

“Maybe, but that’s not exactly what I had in mind.”

“I’m busy,” I snapped, and pulled my hand away from him before I used it to push him away.

“I’m not going to lie,” he relayed as he pushed back his long bangs. “Seeing you defending me, threatening Richards and the Captain, well, that was…”

“I get it,” I said, as I tried to cover the red flushness to my cheeks that was still there from earlier before. “It was a turn on.”

He licked the whole of his top lip at me. “You can say that,” he breathed, as he continued to burrow his eyes at me. _This man has no self-control,_ I noted, and took a step backwards feeling the need for extra space. _Maybe Richards was right to warn me about him,_ I deliberated, as I felt Petyr’s lustful gaze never leave me.

_This isn’t my Petyr,_ I reminded myself, as I took small steps backwards. _He wasn’t like this._

_But what was he like,_ a small part of me fretted, feeling the two of them starting to merge into one in my memory. _They look so alike…_

An alarm bell ringed on the Ares ship, signalling the lunch hour had just begun. Petyr hardly noticed the sound, he was so intentionally gazing at me I wouldn’t be surprised if he noticed anything. _It’s like he is wearing a mask,_ I marveled, _or is that what my Petyr would have been like if I let him?_

A few people passed by the hallway from the front of the ship, making their way to the main compartment of Ares where the cafeteria resided. I heard their distant voices wish me a good afternoon, but I couldn’t focus- it was like he was a black hole slowly stripping away all my thoughts and feelings until I was one with him. “Petyr,” I found myself saying through barely opened lips. “Maybe we should…”

A sliver of a smile graced his face, it was terrible how handsome he could be that way. _He could destroy me,_ I realized, _and I would probably let him do it too._

_He’s not so bad,_ a frightening voice said at the back of my head. _What a dangerous pair we’d make,_ it continued, _imagine what power the two of you could hold._

I could almost hear his voice at the back of my head: _“They’re like sheep needed to be told what to do.”_

I could almost feel the barrier of my conscious mind shredding the longer he looked at me, tearing up into a thousand pieces, whipping into the seamless air as he remained unblinking, bearing into my soul arduously. “You know what I think,” Petyr finally uttered, into the almost empty hallway. “I think you can’t resist me, even if you tried.”

“I-I,” a short inarticulate stammer that made his smug grow wider.

“I think you’re fighting something, and sooner or later you’ll lose.”

“I’m not fighting anything,” I stuttered, and rubbed the sides of my shoulders nervously.

“No?”

“No!” I took a large step back now, finding myself taking the normal route to the front of the ship. _Good, there will be people there,_ I noted, and found some strength at the thought of that.

“What are you fighting, Sansa,” he relayed in a quiet voice, though it trembled with his low tenor. “What are you afraid of?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh?” he slyly replied with a knowing look in his eyes. “That’s not what I think.”

“Then what do you think?” I snapped out with sudden rage.

“I think you are hating yourself for my liking me. I think you’re beating yourself up, tearing yourself apart because I am nothing like _your_ Petyr.”

“No, you’re not!” He laughed at that, which made me feel nervously excited as he took a step forward. “You’re rude, ignorant, self-observed, horny as fuck-”

“Am I?” he laughed, with a slight shake of the head.

“You’re dangerous, just like Richards warned.”

“Then why did you defend me? Why didn’t you threaten to take me into the brig instead?”

“Because I’m a fool,” I admitted, and scrunched up my face with disgust. “Because I see you, and its like seeing the man that I love.”

Petyr narrowed his eyes slightly and forced his head to the right to look away from me. “You know, I’m getting tired of being compared to him,” he confessed, before he directed his gaze to be leveled at me instead. “I want to go home, Sansa.”

* * *

I was standing in front of the long glass window with my hands clasped together in front of my waist. My back was perfectly straight as I stood in front of my crew, a group of ten flight officers stood to either side of me as we admired our surroundings. Petyr was slightly behind me, he was silent as ever, unwilling to speak a word to me since he made that inexpiable confession.

_Mariam was right,_ I realized, this is an uncharted part of space. In all my travels, however brief they were, I had never seen space look so black- so lifeless as it was now.

“There are so little stars,” Marlena said beside me, a small Polish woman with an accent so strong it constantly stood out from the crowd.

Her words were haunting. The stars reminded me of Petyr, but with that gone what did I have left?

_A frozen body left inside a capsule,_ I mediated, _his room with all his belongings still left untouched. Memories? But even those were fading now, becoming construed the longer I associated myself with this parallel Petyr._

“There are barely any left,” I agreed, while my gazed continued to wander the dark expansion of space.

“Stars hide your fires,” Petyr muttered in a low breath, just over my left ear. “Let not light see my black and deep desires.”

“Hamlet?” I asked, half turning my head in his direction.

“Macbeth,” he spoke up. “A man full of ambition.”

“And evil,” I reasoned, in a voice low enough for only him to hear. Petyr pressed his hands to my side and leaned against my back as he silently considered the subject. “And I guess that’s why you quoted him.”

“No,” he answered me with a slow shake of his head. “It just came to me.” Slow blinks escaped him, he rubbed his fingers over his moustache as he contemplated something in his mind. “Though I do admire his ambitions, it is best not to kill King Duncan himself. No, a hired hand would be better.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“What makes you say that?” he questioned, freezing his fingers over his face.

“Intuition.”

“Intuition is a dangerous thing,” he relayed in a low tone of voice. “Especially when you’re right.”

I looked away from him, desirous not to continue the conversation any further. _It would be dark with him,_ I mediated, as I looked out the window besieged with blackness.

There was hush whisperings around me, anxious thoughts spoken aloud of what Dolus would be like. Already fanciful rumours were spreading, and it grew worse by the hour. _It’s amazing what people could do with imagination,_ I wondered, _and how far humanity can fall if we let it. There was fear to be sure, but aren’t we all afraid of the unknown? The unseen?_

_Petyr isn’t,_ I realized, as I heard him take a step back and feel his presence move away from me. _As far as I’m concerned, he fears nothing at all. Or is that simply what he wants me to think?_

“Marlena,” I whispered off to my right, and waited for her hazy brown eyes to stare up at me. “Let me know the second you see the planet Dolus. I want to see it with my own eyes.”

“For sure,” she cheerily said, denoting youth even when none could be seen. _You would never know she is past my mother’s age,_ I mused, _as I turned my back to her and made my way out my room. And how long it seems since I saw her, or my family for that matter._

_I have a brother right here on this ship and look how I have treated him,_ I deliberated, after I heard the familiar footsteps of Petyr behind me. The darkness around Jon’s right eye was still fresh in my mind, a thing that made me stomach turn unwillingly. _What if I made a mistake trusting this new Petyr so willingly? Should have I let him so close to my heart so early on?_

“Questions, questions,” I mumbled under my breath, quite forgetting Petyr was close enough to hear.

“About what?” he piped up, before he took his familiar place by my side. “You’re not still thinking about Macbeth, are you?”

“No,” I drawled out, and anxiously suppressed a smile. “It’s my own thoughts- none of which concern you-”

“It was simply a question,” he interrupted, as he stroked back his moppy hair. Petyr looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was around us before he added, “Where are we going now?”

“To the cafeteria,” I answered him coldly. “Well, I am.”

“And what about me?”

“What about you?” I quipped to his annoyance. “You have to change. There is no way I’m letting you go into a room that can seat fifty people dressed like that.”

He dragged his deft fingers over the rough part of his leather jacket near his forearm, trailing over a part that had been torn with stray strings sprouting out of it. “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“No, you wouldn’t.”

He bit his lip at me, clearly excited by my change of mood. “And what would you have me wear?”

I stopped and turned fully face him. My arms were crossed as I looked at him from head to toe, and only then wore an inexplicable grin. “Something tight fitting to show off your form,” I taunted, before I dropped my arms to the side. “You’re bulkier than the other Petyr.”

“I bet he was scrawny as a noodle.”

“Not exactly,” I confessed, and continued my jaunt down the main hallway that would take me to the elevator lobby.

“Oh, yes! I heard he had a cane. That must have been-”

“No!” I snapped and pointed my finger at his chest. “Don’t go making fun of his cane.”

“A sensitive spot.”

“Very.”

I picked up my pace, so I didn’t have to walk so close beside him. _It’s a pity what memories can do,_ I contemplated, and was happy to find the elevator lobby full of people waiting to go inside. _No room to have private conversations,_ I mused, and pressed myself deeper into the crowd as I waited for one of the doors to open.

“I imagine he was quite slow,” Petyr mused aloud, leaning into my frame to get a reaction. “And tired.”

“He was quite fit,” I countered. “And amazing quick, despite his injury.”

“I heard he had greys too.” He waited for me to make eye contact before he added, “He sounds old.”

“He’s the same age as you!”

“Oh, really?” he said with some disbelief, and I took notice of the sarcasm in his voice. “I’d think he was twenty years older. Tell me, did he have wrinkles too?”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Am I?”

“Yes,” I exclaimed at the exact moment one of the elevator doors opened. I forced myself through the door like the rest of the crowd, slightly relieved to find two women situated between us.

_Then why does he keep staring at me,_ I wondered, and forced my head to look in the exact opposite direction. The elevator shook slightly, and then gravitated upwards at a brisk pace, feeling the shifting weight leave me as it went up a level on Ares. _I shouldn’t take him there,_ the top third level button shined brightly before me as it blinked from black to white at every second interval. It was with some regret that I asked someone to press it, but it was only a matter of time till this new Petyr found out the truth. _But do I want him too?_

Most of the crowd flooded through the open doorway as we made it to the second level, an area designated for food and entertainment. A place not intended for Petyr and I, just yet, for we had other business to attend too. Petyr shifted over, wedging himself between a young man and I with a playful look. “I’m not jealous,” he whispered. “Or at least, I tell myself that.”

“You are.”

“I don’t see what you…” he paused to half roll his eyes at me. “See in him.”

“A good man.”

“A boring one.”

The elevator door swished open, and a bright light shined on us announcing we had reached the private quarters. I felt a cold draft blow on us the second we walked into the hallway, feeling the comforts of home already. I looked left and right and waited for the rest of the Plegethon members to file to their intended areas before I led Petyr to a secret doorway just next to the elevator.

“You look suspicious,” he relayed with a raised eyebrow. “Are you up to something?”

“Not everyone knows about this place,” I reasoned, and plucked a white card from one of my side pockets to hold it against a round silver scanner. “Most people think this room is for the custodians and maids, but its not.”

“Then what is it for?” he asked, after he heard a soft chirp announce the security scanner was successful.

“It was for Petyr.” I pushed the door open and held it wide enough for him to slip inside the room before I locked it behind me. The room was pitch black, and I closed my eyes before I announced, “Mockingbird.” One by one lights began to turn on inside the room, illuminating a large living room space with white carpets and rounded couches of the same pale white colour. The area was cold and unfeeling, a thing I had gotten used to over the months, and already found myself kicking off my boots and instructing Petyr to do the same.

“Where are we?” he asked, as he tightened his leather jacket around him, and zipped it up fully. “And why is it so cold?”

“Petyr liked it cold,” I answered him, and went away to wander over to the small three steps off to the side of the room. “Come,” I voiced aloud, and turned to an open hallway that showed the whole of space on the left side of me, a glass tunnel almost as I led Petyr across the glass floor much to his amazement to take us to another part of my old lover’s private quarters. The white floor returned, after we faced a blank white wall, and I was left with either going to the left or right of me. “On this side,” I noted, and pointed my hand to the left. “Is the kitchen and Petyr’s laboratory space where he wanted to conduct small scientific experiments and inquiries. There is also a sort of board office that can hold five people at most. I think he intended it to be his meeting space.”

“But you don’t know for certain?”

“No,” I replied as I looked over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of this ghost of a lover. “I never had time to ask him.”

“And to the right?” he asked, as a vain attempt to distract me.

“His bedroom,” I droned, and went that direction much to my own dismay. There was a lightness in our movements, a silence that feel over the two of us, as we mounted the long set of stairs. I knew what he was thinking- what he wanted, but he wouldn’t get it. He was behind me gratefully, but for how long would it stay that way?

“All this with a cane?” Petyr abruptly asked, after he let out a soft cough.

“He was fit! I did tell you that before.”

“I had trouble believing you,” Petyr mumbled, and let out another cough. “Why is it so damn cold in here?”

I ignored this question and continued to mount the last of the steps, knowing the end was near. If I closed my eyes and tried hard enough I could almost feel him beside me, smell that enticing scent of mint escaping his lips when he was so near to me. I could almost imagine his voice whispering my name, the aimable thud of his cane as he walked alongside me, that hobble that I had grown to love. _I would have lived here with him,_ I reminded myself, _and we would have been happy- him and I._

The steps stopped suddenly, so I opened my eyes to see I was at a level plain. Petyr bumped into me by an accident, his hands arresting my waist, before he let it go. “You alright?” he asked, as he forced himself through a small gap to come to the other side of me.

“I’m fine,” I lied, and forced my eyes to look over his shoulder and stare at the whiteness of Petyr’s old room. His bed was there, a thing that made me cringe reluctantly. There was a small looking glass on the table, and a pearl white box made of leather skin on his desk as well. A gold and bronze shaped lamp, that went well with his vintage telescope to look out at space. A white board too, a thing that made me smile when I saw a few mathematical calculations scrawled across it.

“Is this it?” a deep voice said in front of me, shattering my thoughts, as I turned my gaze to this new Petyr who wore a disapproved look. “It’s so empty.”

“He never had a chance to live in it, Petyr,” I grudgingly said, and walked past him to make my way to the revolving closet.

“You’re right!” he called after me. “It doesn’t feel lived in for one thing, and another…”

“Another?”

Petyr sat down at the edge of the bed and looked behind him for some reason. “This is the smallest bed, I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s fine.”

“Sansa, sweetling, you and I could barely fit in it,” he said so smoothly it made me blush.

“Good, because we’re not using it.”

“Aren’t we?” he asked with a dark expression with his cheeks slightly sucked in. “Or are you just playing games with me?”

“I came to give you this,” I rapped out, and pulled a hanger off a silver railing that held up one of Petyr’s uniform. “Try it on and see if it fits.”

“I’d gather you’d have me cut my hair and make the sides of my temples grey as well.” He watched my changing expression keenly, lifting his chin to fully consider the matter. “I know what you want, sweetling, and you won’t get it from me.”

“You no nothing of what I want!”

“You’ll find I know a lot more than you think,” he quipped, and stood up suddenly with a certain exactness to his movements. His steps were sure and steady as he made his way towards me, eyes never leaving mine, even when I let out a small gasp at the suddenness of his movements once he ripped the hanger out of my hand. “Alright, Sansa,” he drawled out with a deep melodious voice. “I’ll play your little game.”

“It’s not a game.”

“No, of course it isn’t.” He offered me a smile that did not reach his eyes before he went away from me, and I could have sworn there was something menacing in it.

 

 


	6. Sanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa is still conflicted on how far she can trust Petyr. He has the face of her lover, but it is clear there is more to this new Petyr that meets the eye, and she is about to find out how far it goes.

Petyr had taken the liberty to take a shower as well, so I was left to wander away with my own thoughts.

For someone who had so much authority on this ship, Petyr’s room was uncommonly empty; there was hardly a trace he was ever here at all. _But he was,_ I told myself, as I crouched down to look through the heavy bronze telescope.

 _I see nothing._ I played around with the telescope buttons and found the results were the same. _Where is Petyr taking us,_ I wondered, realizing just how far we’ve gone.

 _To the very edges of the universe,_ a small voice said at the back of my head, _to the very end of our existence._

“Then I don’t want to go,” I said aloud, and raised myself up on my feet to stand tall again. The water had stopped, and I could hear Petyr’s bare feet shuffling across the polished floor softly as he walked around the bathroom. I was enjoying this space we had, it gave me time to think about the events of today- about what he evinced in me, an uncontrollable desire that threatened to consume me. I had to watch myself around him, be weary of how much I should reveal to him about my ship and my crew. _He’s clever,_ I had to reminded myself, _and nothing ever good came from him being so._

The bathroom door burst open, a heavily condensed fog spilled into the room with a heat that could be felt immediately. Petyr stepped into the room, jaw tightened as he eyed me up and down with satisfaction. _He knows,_ I realized, as the smallest of smiles crept across his dead-pan face. _He knows I’m seeing the old Pete, and not him. And for once in his life, its working to his advantage._

I couldn’t prevent the memories flooding back: Hearing the faint lullaby of Claude Debussy’s “Reverie” off a dusty vinyl record in his living room, the excitement of seeing rows of vintage books all stacked neatly together for me to enjoy; the unexpected richness in Petyr’s voice as he spoke to me from behind and asked, “Then who would be able to enjoy them?” I remember the hard-covered book slipping from my hands, the embarrassment when I finally turned around to look at this mysterious stranger. The moment he took a step forward and I recognized that familiar thud from his cane…

“Its uncanny, isn’t it?” a voice asked in front of me, and I blinked to recognize this new stranger standing right before my eyes. His eyebrows were raised in amusement as he lightly tilted his head to the side. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

My mouth was dry, parched as though I was standing in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

Warm hands curled around my own, stretching it upwards till it reached the front of his chest. “It’s okay,” he said in a soothing voice. “I’m right here.”

A slow blink escaped me, and then I found my eyes faltering and dropping downwards till it reached Petyr’s bare feet. _He looks so much like him._ I ignored the release of his hands, and the feeling that came over me afterwards when he loosened my hair-tie and let my dark auburn hair fall down my back. “Try and relax,” he urged me, and fluffed my hair upward until it fell naturally to the sides of my shoulders. _Don’t feel,_ I reminded myself, and forced the lids of my eyes to close to shut out all feelings. “You must be tired,” he droned in a thick raspy voice.

“I’m fine,” I argued back in a weak voice, while my eyes remained closed.

I heard him grunt in disagreement, and felt his thumb stroking the left side of my cheek dutifully. _He’s being patient with me,_ I mediated, _or is this all part of his plan to get me into his bed. It was so hard to tell with this one, so many masks he wore, so many conflicting gestures._

“Would you like me to run you a bath, sweetling?” he cooed, in a voice so soft it forced me to open my eyes. “I can do that for you… if you want?”

“No,” I droned. “I have things to do.”

“It can wait.”

“It can’t,” I rebutted, and swallowed hard under his relentless gaze. _He’s handsomer than my Petyr,_ I realized, once I finally took a good look at him. He must have gelled his bangs back because I could see the fullness of his face, the vividness of the grey-green eyes, the high cheekbones, the smoothness of his face that detected no aging for a good long while. _And of course, he had to shave._ I bit my lip at that last thought, knowing he must have done it for me.

“What’s a few minutes of your time?” he proposed with a curious look. “You work hard. No one can deny you that.” His large hand drew my head closer to his own. “You haven’t had time to grieve.”

“I have,” I hushed into the fingers that were just in front of my lips.

“Have you?” he questioned as he let his fingers fall away from my tightly pursed lips. He gave me a hardened look, apportioned to the lie I had so feebly given. My betrayal was in my blink, and he took that second to gently press his lips against my own. He breathed into me, clutching the back of my head, offering me soothing kisses to get me used to the idea. He smelt good, the scent of my old Petyr lingered on his skin, and then there was that familiar soft touch of his uniform that betrayed my senses. I felt myself crumbling, like a wall that was slowly tumbling down, and it was Petyr’s lips that was besieging me.

“No,” I mouthed into his lips, but he kept continuing, knowing it was only a matter of time till I gave in. “Petyr, no,” I voiced louder, and used my hands to push him away.

“I was only trying to help,” he reasoned, as he took a step back.

“No, you’re taking advantage of me.”

“That’s only what you want to think, sweetling.”

“No, its what I _know,_ ” I rapped out, after I pushed my long hair away from my face. _God, why does he have to look like him,_ I complained, as I glared at the man before me. “What do you want, Petyr?”

“To help,” he quipped with a serious gaze.

“No, what do you _really_ want.”

He leaned all his weight over to his right foot and crossed his hands over the front of his chest with his hands entangled together. There was a change in his demeanour, a darkness that was finally shown. “I already told you what I wanted,” he drawled from the back of his throat. “And still you don’t believe me.”

“I don’t.”

He smirked at that, and let his eyes stray away from me to fixate itself to the looking glass just behind me. “Do you know what I see,” he muttered low under his breath. “I see myself in you.”

“Don’t try and put me so low!” I argued back. “There is no way in hell I’m at your level.”

“There are two kinds of people in this world,” he mused aloud, as he stepped forward. “Those who pretend they are something…” Petyr brushed his shoulder against mine as he walked past me. “And those that accept who they are.” He stopped in front of the mirror to take in our two images. “Which one are you, Sansa?’

I remained silent, though I turned around to face the mirror as well. I gingerly took two steps forward until I was at his side, and only then did he reach for my hand and hold it in his. “If I had you in my dimension…” A corrupted look flashed across his impassive face as he uttered, “What a force we would be. But…” He paused to lift my hand to his lips and kiss it soundly. “As it happens I am here. I see no reason for us to do the same in this dimension as well.”

“What are you asking of me?”

“To trust me,” he slyly replied against my cold hand. “To join me.”

“To do what?”

“Whatever opportunities come our way.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he answered with a small shrug of the shoulders. “But when that opportunity comes I want you to be at my side.”

“To be Lady Macbeth?”

“No, my sweet. You are better than that.” He pressed my hand against his lip again, as though he wished to silence some secret thought. “Although, I cannot deny the fact that I wouldn’t mind being King.”

I grunted at him and shook my head in dismay. _The same old Petyr._

“But I’m sure you heard all of this before.”

“Oddly, enough, yes.”

“Then you shouldn’t have second thoughts about saying _yes._ ” He kissed the back of my hand with that, turning his eyes away from the looking glass and instead at me. _He wants to kiss me,_ I realized, _but he’s waiting. Waiting for what?_

 _For me to give in._ He sensed my confliction, the way my eyes drifted away and returned to the floor. I heard a heavy breath escape him, falling to the back of my hand before he released it entirely. “Tell me,” he voiced aloud, so much that it echoed across the empty bedroom. “How _much_ do you love your Petyr?”

“More than life itself.”

“And now you have the opportunity to be with him again.” He forced my chin upwards with his hand, letting his fingers spread across the bottom to force my eyes to be leveled with his own. “So, why don’t you take it?”

“Because you’re nothing like him.”

“So, you keep saying,” he droned with a coldness in his eyes. “Even when its not true. I have found…”

A silence stretched out for a moment, while his left eyebrow lowered itself over his gleaming grey eye. “That you are the kind of person to pretend, no- deny who you really are. There is nothing wrong with your desires, your… need for ascendancy. I have it too, and that is something I have learned to accept. But you, my dear, you must learn not to beat yourself up for simply wanting to stretch out your hand and take it.”

I opened my mouth slightly, before I finally had the confidence to inquire, “Take what?”

“ _Everything._ ” He licked the bottom of his lip swiftly, and then let his face fall back to the same poker face as before. “Think about it,” he urged, and then followed it with a meaningful kiss.

* * *

A deep voice was crooning through the music speakers as we explored the private library and laboratory space. This new Petyr was sitting on top of the desk with his legs spread wide open, tapping his fingers against his thigh to the beat; light silvery grey eyes watched me attentively as I sifted through a multitude of folders. _Maybe I will find new information about the planet Dolus,_ I told myself, but so far, the folders were filled with complex mathematical equations or scientific concepts that was quickly scribbled across the blank pages. _Mariam might understand this,_ I considered, _but I didn’t feel like sharing these secret documents with her just yet._

“Looking for anything?” Petyr piped up suddenly, before he jumped off the desk and swaggered towards me.

“No, I was just curious.”

“About?”

“Petyr’s work,” I sighed. “Not like I would understand it anyways.”

“Would I?”

I shrugged my shoulders at him. “Take a look,” I suggested, and offered him one of the beige folders for him to look at. He threw it on top of the desk next to him and flipped through the pages nonchalantly. There was a moment where he rubbed a finger over the spot where his moustache used to be, and immediately moved it away realizing it was gone. _Poor Pete,_ I laughed, and found myself smiling at him. _Well, its certainly an improvement._  

Petyr absentmindedly whistled to the tune, while he pushed the stack of papers into the center of the desk and leaned his chest forward. I in turn, leaned next to him, taking my time glancing at his side profile and back at the indistinguishable scrawls across the page.

“It’s beyond me,” he confessed. “I’m very good at numbers, but still… this is advanced stuff.”

“He was a scientist,” I reminded him. “He built A.I. for a living.”

“And I’m a smuggler,” he mused. “But a good one at that.” He wore a secret smile just for himself, before he finally turned his gaze back to me. “I wish I could help.”

“Its fine. I’ll show them to Mariam this evening,” I told him, and rose off the desk to stand to my feet. “If we want lunch we should head out now.”

“Can’t they deliver it to you?” he asked with furrowed eyebrows. “You’re the boss.”

“So, you keep saying,” I laughed. My hand unintentionally leaned against his shoulder as I added, “But it doesn’t work like that.”

He lowered his eyes to my hand, taking in the physical contact and its potential meaning. He rose to his feet as well, jaw tightening as his eyes took in my visage. “It can, if you wish it.”

“Too much power isn’t necessarily a good thing,” I reminded him, already telling where his thoughts were heading.

“You say that…” His lips tightened so he was forced to speak through the corner of his mouth. “But you’ve never experienced it before.”

“Have you?”

He smirked at me unwillingly, which forced his head to turn away from me. “Let’s just say I’ve had a _taste._ ” Petyr leaned off the desk and went over the stereo to listen to the last of the guitar bridge before he shut it off. It was clear he had nothing more to say on the matter, so I tucked the folder back into the desk and led him out the room. We walked by side in silence, both lost in our own thoughts once again. It was broken once we walked down the glass tunnel, for Petyr unintentionally bumped into me and looked up at me once I offered a small apology. “That was my fault,” he laughed. “I was just thinking… wondering if I could have this place.”

“Have?”

“Yeah, instead of that small closet you got me staying in.”

“Those are standards rooms,” I stated with a hint of annoyance.

“But I’m not standard, am I?” He waved his hands outwards to display the uniform he was wearing. “Why else would you put me in this?”

“Because its about time you fit in,” I argued back. “I can’t have you walking around without a uniform, otherwise people will start asking questions-”

“Like, why are we forced to wear uniforms?” he interjected. “You think we were apart of some fascist society.”

“Its for order,” I assured him. “And what would you know about fascist societies?”

“Let’s just say I’m from one,” he grunted, and stuck his hands deep into his uniform pockets. “And I’ve had my fill of it.”

“And that’s why you’re so eager for power?”

“Power is power,” he grunted. “But that’s not the reason.”

“Then what is?”

“You never answered my question,” he stated in a low tenor, and I could tell how rigid his body language had become. “Could I stay at this place instead?”

“If you’d like… I’ll see if Diego can get you a security key.”

There was silence on his end, but I could tell by the way he loosened up that he was pleased by this answer. He let me go ahead of him once we exited the glass tunnel, and I found my eyes taking time to adjust to the brightness of the all white living room. We blended in seamlessly in our uniforms, a thing that Petyr took note of as we passed another looking glass along the wall. “It’s a bit tight,” he observed, after he stopped in front of the long mirror. “It shows too much.”

“Yes,” I said with a devilish grin. “It leaves nothing to the imagination.”

Petyr covered himself in the front for a moment, realizing just how tight his uniform really was. “I want a new one,” he told me with slightly blushed cheeks.

“Don’t worry. Yours is much larger than most,” I pointed out. “Shall we go?”

He eyed me suspiciously, while he raised his hand away from his crotch. “Oh, you’ve been sleeping around?”

“Not as much as you,” I teased, and reached for his hand so we could leave the room. “I think you’ve been doing all the sleeping.”

“I’d do more if you let me.”

I puckered my lips at him teasingly, before I opened the front door. “I know,” I assured him, as he passed me by, and waited for him to stop in front of the doorway before I gave him a chaste kiss. He caught me, however, tightly gripping the sides of my hips as he led me into the center of the hallway and began to devour my lips with hungry kisses. I submitted for once, probably in a mood after I took a good look at his crotch, enjoying the moment as he gave me sensuous kisses. His deft hand stroked harshly down my spine, settling at the curve of my ass. “Should we go back in?” he asked in a scratchy voice, too consumed with desire to speak up more clearly.

“I don’t think…” I paused, for his lips returned to me once more. His left hand wandered down as well, and soon they were pressed firmly to my ass, gripping hard enough that he had to lift me off the floor. “That’s such a good idea,” I reasoned, a second before he slammed against the wall.

 _It’s a terrible one,_ my conscious intervened.

 _Try telling him that,_ another voice in my head countered, finding his lips were adamant to be cemented to mine.

He was like a dark storm, raging and violent, threatening to consume me. _Or has he already,_ I wondered, as I trembled under his touch. _I want him,_ a sinister voice said in the corner of my mind, _all of him._

It was true, a mere touch set me on fire, but this- this made me weak and uncontrolled. It was different with him- I have _become_ a different person with him, but is that a good thing? My thoughts were interrupted as his lips caressed the side of my neck, letting his top teeth drag alongside the sensitive skin as his nails dug into my skin. “Petyr,” I groaned out reluctantly, feeling too nearly aroused to hold it back any longer.

Thank god, we couldn’t continue, for we heard steps echoing down the long corridor. “Put me down,” I urged, and berated his shoulders with hard slaps till he dropped me to the floor. We were both breathing heavily as we turned towards the sound, not seeing the group of people yet, but we knew they were coming. “Your hair,” I mentioned, and stroked it backwards till it was neatly tucked away behind his ears. He leaned his brow into my hand, closing his eyes peacefully for a moment which took me off guard. “Petyr?”

“Come live with me,” he unexpectedly said. “In that room.”

“I… don’t know.”

“I know you have a place of your own,” he acknowledged. “But I want you there with me.”

“I suppose I could try it.”

“Think about it.”

“Alright.” He leaned his head backwards and turned to the group of five men that were standing in front of the elevator. _He looks so at peace,_ I realized, and found myself staring at his profile instead. “Petyr?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“You,” he confessed, and pecked me lightly on the cheek before he led me to the elevator door.

* * *

I held the piping hot cup of green tea in my hand, letting the warmth penetrate from the palm of my hands to my fingertips as Doctor Wong continued on with her one-sided conversation. “So, I was thinking,” she continued. “Should we let this new Petyr be apart of our council? I mean, everyone seems to agree with the idea, but you-”

“Actually-”

“I know you think its too soon, dear, but I really think we should include him. We’re always talking about inclusion and diversity, and yet, you and Richards seem determined too-”

“Doctor Wong,” I stammered out for a blessed second. “I think you really need-”

“And Richards! You should hear him going on and on about this parallel Pete. You would never know they were best friends. Oh! I suppose it’s the grief.”

“Yes,” I chimed in with a quick nod of the head. There was no time to continue for Doctor Wong had already placed her cup of ice tea down on the table and was ready to continue her side of the conversation again.

“And you, Sansa, have been taking it very well. Mariam and I were just talking about it after the meeting. She said you looked rather pale this morning, but I suppose you had so little sleep. You must let me examine you sometime.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now,” I quickly butted in, and nervously pulled up my collar so she wouldn’t see the marks Petyr had left me this morning.

“You’re probably right,” she assented. “I must look at Petyr first. Should we give him a nickname? I find it all so confusing in my mind.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Really? I thought you would be the first to jump onto this idea. Oh well…” She scratched the top of her head grievously. “Andrews would be the first to examine him. Just look at the two of them over there…” I turned around in my seat to see Andrews showing a cleanly dressed Petyr how to work the cafeteria machines. “He looks absolutely smitten!” Doctor Wong continued. “And why shouldn’t he? Sansa, Sansa… what did you do to make him look so good?”

“Nothing at all.”

“Oh,” she said amusedly. “I’m sure you did something. He looks better clean shaven, doesn’t he?”

_I only wish he could come over and save me from this woman._

“Poor Andrews,” she cooed after she settled her mug down next to her empty plate of food. “He looks like a poor puppy crying out for attention. We really should find someone for him.”

I was looking over her shoulder now, concentrating on the exit sign not to far away from me. _I should have stayed upstairs with Petyr,_ I mused, but it was probably better that I’m around other people. _Less temptation,_ I noted, even when I felt Petyr’s lingering stare in my direction.

“You haven’t answered my question?” Doctor Wong asked loudly with a tap on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry, what was it again?” I quickly replied, feigning interest for a little while longer.

“Dolus! Are you really going to land on that dreadful place?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“We finally escaped from Plegethon, and now you want us to land on another dangerous planet.”

“There is nothing dangerous about Dolus,” I argued back. “We will be well protected with a security force led by Diego-”

“A newbie,” she interjected. “He’s nothing like Kong! I say you should have promoted The Hound.”

“He has no respect for the rules,” I reminded her in a bored voice, while I stirred the last of my wonton soup in a tiny bowl. “He can’t be controlled.”

“And you think Bachalo can?”

“Its worth a shot,” I said with a shrug of the shoulders, and straightened my back a little as Petyr and Andrews approached our table.

Petyr sat down with a plate full of food: Half a chicken breast, spicy rice, and a side of green beans lathered in butter and pepper. _Healthy,_ I thought, but his plate full of pastries and dessert counteracted that original thought.

“Here’s your coffee,” Andrews exclaimed, as he laid it next to Petyr’s things. “Cream and sugar, just how you like it.”

“Petyr drinks it black,” I uttered over my cup.

There was a chuckle on the other side of the table from this new Pete, half a roll of bread was still in his mouth as he muttered, “Not this one.”

“Really?” I said with astonishment and laid my cup down on the table. “Its always been like that?”

“Far as I can remember.”

Andrews raised his hand to get our attention. “You will find he has a different diet from our Petyr too. As you can see by this full plate of-”

“I might get more,” quipped this happily contented man in front of me. “We should have come down here earlier.”

“We would have,” I reminded him, as I half stood out of my seat. “If you hadn’t been so distracted.”

He shot me a grin as I went away from the table, intent on filling up another cup of green tea. _Let him suffer with Wong and Andrews for a bit,_ I selfishly thought, and found a childish smile play upon my face as I went to the beverage station. I was plucking a tea bag from a ceramic jar when I felt a presence close beside me. “Hi Sansa,” a small voice said next to me, and I had to look down to see who was addressing me. “How are things?”

“Gabriella,” I said with a small smile. “I am well. And you?”

“Long day,” she yawned into the back of her hand. “Richards been missing for the better part of it. I told him to take a break, since he needed to cool down.”

“That may be my fault.”

“I know.” She lifted a coffee mug from the pantry and settled it down in front of the coffee machine. “But he shouldn’t take it so personal.”

“ _What_ so personal?”

“Your decision to stick it out with this new Pete.” She poured the thick syrupy looking substance into her mug, showing just how dark the beverage was under the bright fluorescent lights. “You knew him better than anyone.”

“I think Richards did.”

“As a friend, yes, but from what he told me…” she scrunched up the side of her cheek till it crinkled her smooth skin. “You two were very intimate.”

I blushed immensely and forced my head to tilt downwards to shield my changing visage. “Yes, well…”

 “So, I think Richards should take a step back.”

“Okay.”

“And if you can send him back to the office that would be great. I want to have a routine check on Ares again, it’s holding up well but-”

“We’ve been on this ship for a good long while,” I added, before she could continue her sentence. She nodded her head in agreement as she watched me pour the last of the hot water into my cup. “I’ll have a word with him.”

“Thank you,” she hushed, after she lifted the cup to be leveled with her chest. “I’ll guess I will see you around?”

“For sure.” She waved me a quick goodbye and left me to my own musings for a few more moments. _Its so quiet here,_ I mediated, as I eyed the table where the three of them sat. Petyr mouth was continually stuffed with food, but that didn’t stop Doctor Wong from talking. _It doesn’t help that Wong is right beside him,_ I thought amusedly, and decided it was best to join in with his suffering.

“Sansa, you’re back!” Wong shouted, before I even made my way back to my seat. “Tell Petyr that he should come down to the medical wing and have an examination.”

“You really should,” I said with a half guilty expression. “You look like an exact replica of Petyr, but we don’t know how far that goes. A few tests may prove worthwhile.”

Petyr merely narrowed his eyes at me as he slowly crunched on his piece of chicken. _Now, I’m in trouble._

“I can run a few tests!” Andrews excitedly shrilled out. “I’d be more than happy too.”

 _I’m sure you would_ , I thought, and desperately tried to cover my knowing smirk over the rim of my cup.

Petyr swallowed his food whole before he leaned back fully in his chair. “Perhaps, you should run some psychological tests on Sansa as well. I’m sure the grief she endured, and now the shock of me, may take a _toll_ on her. We want her to be able to lead Ares with a clear mind- a sane one at that.”

It was my turn to narrow my eyes at him, knowing exactly what game he was trying to play with me. “I am perfectly sane, Petyr.”

“That’s what an insane person would say as well.”

I was about to rebut when Doctor Wong pushed her tray forward and noted, “He has a point, you know. Sansa you should come by-”

“I’m fine.”

“You really should,” she continued. “Not only for professional reasons, but because you are the one leading us. This entire ship rests on your shoulders.”

“I never asked for that,” I complained.

Petyr dropped his fork down on the plate with a loud clang. “All the more reason to be tested, sweetling,” he said slyly and followed it with a coy grin.

 _While they are at they should test if you’re a sociopath,_ I wanted to say out loud, but common sense was enough to keep my lips tightly pursed. _I don’t see the harm in a few tests,_ I deliberated, and silently shook my head in consent before I lifted my cup of tea.

There was something I didn’t like about the way Petyr’s lips grew thin and tense before he muttered under his breath, “Perfect,” and finished it off with a haunting look.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have to give this a second read lol. Let me know what you think of parallel Pete so far, its been a ride and believe me there is still more to come.
> 
> \- petyrbaaaeeelish


	7. Amends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Petyr is being tested in the medical wing, Sansa takes the time to reevaluate everything, including her relationship with him.

There was a brief moment of hesitation before I knocked on the front door; Richards opened it suspiciously, hardly holding back his frown once he caught sight of me.

“Have you come to arrest me?” he sarcastically asked. “Or have you finally realized I’m right.”

“There is something wrong with this Pete.”

He nodded his head in understanding before he opened the door wider for me to enter. His room was intolerably messy, but it didn’t seem to bother Richards one bit. “You can have a seat,” he muttered, as he brushed off a pile of sweaters on his dusty grey couch. “I think we need to talk.”

“I’m sorry, Richards,” I earnestly said once I took my seat. “For being so rude earlier.”

“I can’t blame you. We all want him to be the Petyr we remembered, but he isn't…”

“Its like a shadow of him.”

He stretched his legs out across the floor and laid his arm near the back of my head. “I get your meaning. And its sad, really, to see the difference.”

“I want my Petyr back,” I confessed aloud. “I shouldn’t say it, but I do.”

He patted me on the forearm gently. “He's gone, Sansa. As much as we want it, he's not coming back.”

We were silent for a moment, too sad to say anything else. Richards reached over for his black hoodie and threw it over his shoulders to pass the time. “Let me know if you’re cold,” he suggested, after his head poked out of his sweater, and he drew the rest of it down his chest.

“I'm fine,” I told him honestly. “I remember the first time I met Petyr he said to me ‘I don't know how you happened to fall into my hands, but I'm glad you did.’” I smiled at that thought, and drew Richards blanket over my legs. “I kind of feel the same way about this new Pete, but its different. _He's_ different.”

“Worse if you ask me,” he grumbled as he patted the Cavaliers sigil over the front of his sweater.

“I don’t trust him.”

“I don’t like him,” Richards countered. “Or his friends either.”

“I still haven’t met them. Petyr wants me to meet him after his medical tests.”

“Oh, is that where he is?”

“Yeah, I have my psychological ones in a few hours.”

“And why would you have to do that?” Richards demanded, unintentionally leaning forward in the couch to question me.

“Mind games,” I grunted. “Petyr is good at those.”

“To Andrews or Wong?”

“Both.” Richards let out a deep sigh with closed lids, it was obvious he wasn’t pleased. “Its just like the old Pete used to say, ‘Once you plant an idea in my mind, its extremely difficult to remove it.’”

“He knows how to manipulate people,” Richards assented. “And since this new Petyr looks exactly like our old one it will be easier for him to do so.” He rose himself from his seat abruptly as he shouted, “He is playing a game with you Sansa! With all of us!”

“What should I do?”

Richards placed his hands on his hips and paced back and forth in front of me. “Keep an eye on him.”

“He wants us to live together,” I said out of the blue, feeling the need to confess it to my closest friend.

“Already!” he yelled with a hint of laughter. “Booty call?”

“No one says that anymore, Richards,” I complained. “And he had that already… believe me.”

“Oh, I do.”

I rolled my eyes away from him, before I rose to my feet as well. “So, can I get a hug?”

A large smile crossed his face as he made his way towards me. “Come here,” he laughed and gave me a great bear hug that made me feel better. “It will be alright, Sansa,” he assured me. “You just got to remember who your _real_ friends are.”

“I know.”

“And that means you got to talk to your brother as well.”

“Oh,” I said with puckered lips. “Must I?”

He gave me a scolding look that sent me to the door with a final goodbye. _He’s right,_ I admitted. _Why must Richards always be right?_

* * *

Jon's back was towards me when I finally found him. He was crouched down low with a clipboard in hand, checking off a chart that had something to do with the vehicle in front of him. His hair was down for once, and I could see how sour his mood was just by his movements. He stood up suddenly and stuck the end of the pen in his mouth when he finally noticed me; his stare said it all before he deliberately walked past me.

“Jon, wait!”

“Fuck off,” he inexcusably said, after he ripped the pen from his mouth. He popped his collar up as he strode down the crowded garage, weaving his way around the security buggies. There was people around and I didn’t want to start a fight in front of him, but my level of self-control was wavering.

“Don’t talk to me that way,” I scolded. “I don’t care how angry you are.”

“Or what?” he barked as he turned around to face me. The black eye was worse than when I first saw it this morning. “You’ll get your boyfriend to hit me?"

“You started it.”

“I didn’t see you defending me,” he quipped angrily. “Its always comes down to him. Always!”

“Jon, I'm sorry.”

“They’re all the same! Can’t you see? He's like venom running through your veins, turning you into something you’re not. Why can’t you see what he is doing to you?”

“I do now.”

“Sansa,” he breathed, as he took a step forward. He lowered his head to stare at the space between us as he added, “I know you _love_ him, but he’s no good for you.”

I ground my teeth together, before I suddenly turned away from my brother and briskly walked out the room. 

An emergency staircase was seen dead ahead and I was intent on going there as fast as I could. _Almost there,_ I told myself, before I passed a series of doorways, before I found myself quickly retracing my steps. I stopped in front of one, taking in the unnatural brightness to the room before I stepped inside of it. A red-headed woman was there to greet me, as she stood behind the front desk; her white uniform so pristinely ironed that it put mine to shame. The woman was small and shapely with stormy hazel eyes that locked on with mine; I was caught off guard by her look of understanding, they sympathetic gestures that were betrayed by her small movements. Her voice was soft when she addressed me with a warm welcome, raising her hand to beckon me forward till I was standing in front of her office desk. “Have you come to see a loved one?” she asked in a soft, aerie-like voice that somehow soothed my nerves. 

“I think so.”

“Then you’re in the right place.” She moved back from her desk, and went around it as she added, “My name is Tracy. You are Ms. Sansa Stark, if I am correct.”

“Yes.” I licked my lips nervously as I added, “You store the dead here, right?”

“We do.”

“Is Petyr here? I mean, Lord Baelish?”

“He is,” she answered me with caution. “Would you like to see him?”

“See?”

“We froze his body. He wanted to be buried. A bit archaic but we value his request.”

“I want too,” I told her. _I've been putting it off for way to long._

Tracy ushered me into an inner room, and took me down a long narrow hallway until we reached a massive door. “Just a reminder not to touch anything. If you have any questions feel free to ask me.”

“I understand.” She inserted a code to unlock the door and led me into a room where a dozen or more capsules were stored. They were lined up neatly in the wall like a concave with cold air pressuring around the tight seal. Thankfully, they were fully covered, but it still left me with an eerie feeling. Our footsteps echoed across the icy floor, and I felt my knees buckling over from the cold already.

“He's on the top, I believe,” she informed me, before she rolled a crank to unveil a steel set of stairs. “Most people choose to be cremated. Do you know why he chose this option?”

“He's old fashioned,” I joked. “He was a bit of a historian. I suppose he wanted to go the traditional route.”

“He wanted to be buried on his home planet… but its quite its far from here. He made an audio recording too. Would you like to hear it? I believe it was made a little more than a year before his death.”

_So, before me…_

“You don’t have too,” she spoke into the silence. “Most people like to have both.”

“No, I want too.”

The staircase fell to the floor and Tracy outstretched her hand to the half frozen handrails to lift her up to the first step. She motioned me to follow her, and soon we took the slightly unsteady stairs to the top row where Petyr was kept. “Its right here,” she spoke up, and pointed to the center capsule. Simply press the green button for the recording. The yellow one is to open the shield to look inside the capsule but not open it completely. You can see his face, but that’s about it.”

“That’s all I want.”

“If you need me I'll be at the bottom of the staircase. You need some time alone.” Her smile was small, almost fragile as she left me.

I felt… scared and alone, and standing in front of Petyr's corpse did little for my self moral. If I felt like I was crumbling before this was the full weight of it.

“Sansa,” I heard at the back of my mind, ever so softly as I had heard a thousand times before.

“Petyr,” I whispered and laid my ice cold hand against the capsule. A snivel escaped me, I blamed it from the cold but it was probably my emotions betraying me. I exhaled deeply before I leaned forward to press the green button.

“Hi,” prompted up from the side speakers. “Is anyone there?”

“Petyr?” I breathed, and leaned fully against the capsule to press the yellow button.

“Can anyone here me?” The top panel moved downwards at a slow pace, and I felt myself trembling with excitement and nerves. “Blasted microphone! Right… so, I guess this is my final goodbye.”

The panel was revealing the top of his hair now, crusted over with flakes of icy snow. “Goodbye. A funny word, isn’t it? I guess- I guess, instead, I'll say my final farewell.” I could see his thickly shaped eyebrows, the tightened creases around his temples, the way the silvers in his hair shimmered in the light. “I wanted to thank you for listening to this. You don’t know how much it means to me to know that I'll be missed when I'm gone.” There was a pause in the recording, and the sound of him readjusting in his seat could be heard. “My only hope is that I leave a legacy. Not as the creator of Vasken's A.I., but as the man who believed in each and everyone of you. The person who created Elisium, so that we could thrive. I did it because I believe in you. I believe in us, and know that we are stronger together than apart. I dream one day that we will leave this place, and find out what paradise really means.”

I wiped my nose with the black of my sleeve as I took a look at Petyr's closed lids. He looked so peaceful, almost as if he was fast asleep. His familiar Irish brogue started up again on the speakers: “Sometimes I worry… who will take up this mantel when I'm gone? And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure who it is. But whoever is fortunate to do so, you got a good bunch of people. People like Mariam and Richards to support you. After all.. I couldn’t have done this alone.”

I let out a sigh after that, feeling like his last few sentences was speaking to me. _I need this far more than he’ll ever realize,_ I took note, and curled my fingers together into a ball feeling the heat from my body was escaping me. There was silence on his end of the speakers, as if he was taking a moment to consider what next to say. I spent my time staring at his face, it looked so calm it almost made me feel a little bit better. _It will never get better,_ I thought, _but time- that will make it better, or at least that’s what they say._

“I don’t know what to say.” His voice was deeper and full of concern this time. “I don’t want to think about _my_ death. I- I don’t like to talk about it.” There was a longer pause now, and a shuffling of papers atop of his desk could be heard. “I hope I go a good way. Something honourable and good, so this recording isn’t exactly in vain. You see, I’m not exactly a good person, but I try to be one. I’ve made mistakes… perhaps, more than most but…”

There was a purposeful pause as he considered his words carefully, and I found myself smiling at that fact. “I want to make amends. Yes, that’s the word I’m looking for. I want to right my wrongs and do better, because I can- no, because I should.” There was a short clearing of the throat before he added, And I hope my life is an example of that. Elisium, and everything that I have done for the survivors of the Zimmerman Project and beyond. I just hope…. I made a difference.”

A span of ten seconds stretched by with complete silence, so much so, that I thought the recording had ended. I was taking a step back when I heard his soothing voice: “Well, I guess this is goodbye. Enjoy the journey, wherever you may go. And whatever you do, I hope you remember... its never to late to make amends.”

The recording shut off with a soft click. The lids of my eyes batted slowly, swallowing back the tears that were aching to come through. _Stay strong,_ I reminded myself, and forced myself to breath. It was hard, standing there alone in this frigid room with only his frozen corpse to keep me company.

I found myself growing numb the longer I stared through the glass screen, feeling the need to lay down next to him and join him in that peaceful looking sleep forever. “I can’t do this without you,” I whispered into the silent room. “I need you,” I pleaded, as I burrowed the side of my face into the frozen capsule and let the frigid air numb my skin till there was nothing left to feel but the cold itself.


	8. Teetering on the Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa finds out some interesting information about herself, as well as others, in her psychological examination. Meanwhile, Petyr uses his free time effectively, but what his exact intentions are is still unclear.

Who knows where my dark thoughts were heading too, but I was startled to feel hot hands clasped my frame and pull me off Petyr’s frozen coffin. “Sansa,” Richards said in a stern voice, and tightened his grip once I began to fight back with fierce beatings of my fists. “Sansa, enough!”

“Let me be,” I shrilled, and squirmed in his arms like a slippery snake. I knew why he was here; the lady down below had been asking me to leave for over thirty minutes now. _I’d rather die,_ I thought, and jabbed my fists into the sides of Richards chest from behind.

“Don’t let me call security,” he warned into the crook of neck. “Sansa, you need to calm down.”

“Richards, I- I,” I sniveled, and buried my cheeks into the palms of my hand. “I’m a mess.”

“Oh, you’re more than that,” he joked, though his tone of voice took a darker turn than usual. “We need to leave this place.”

“No!” I shouted out and began to squeeze myself out of his tight grip again.

“Why good is there staying here? Think Sansa! Would Petyr want you to be here, crying over his dead body? You have people to take care of! A ship to lead.”

“I can’t,” I mopped like an unhappy child. “It’s too hard, Richards.”

“You can do it, Sansa, I know you can. Why else would Petyr choose you?”

I straightened my back a little and let my shoulders fall to its normal level. A large exhale escaped my lips, sending a swirling cloud of air around my face. _I can do this,_ I told myself, and nodded my head sternly so Richards could see.

“Don’t go running,” he ordered, as he slowly released his grip from me. “Or go clinging to Petyr’s coffin.”

“He left a message, Richards,” I wheezed in an unsteady voice.

He tapped me on the shoulder lightly, which forced me to turn around and face him. “I know, Sansa, I’ve heard it more times than I can count. I miss him too, you know.”

“I know.”

“Come on, your freezing,” he said with care. “I’ll get you a nice cup of coffee- scratch that idea, tea, your nerves are already up the wall.”

“Okay.”

“And then will talk,” he said with a slight smile.

“Okay.”

He wrapped his long arm around the back of my shoulders and showed me to the top staircase, so we could leave this frozen crypt. Tracy avoided eye contact with me as I made my way down, she probably felt guilty for calling Richards but in hindsight it was probably a good thing. _How did she know to contact_ _him,_ I wondered, before I voiced this question aloud.

“I’m a part of your emergency contacts,” he said with a brightened smile. “Pete is first, but I’m the runner up.”

“Why didn’t she call the other Pete?” I asked, as he helped me down the stairs.

“Probably not a good idea. Would you rather want him to comfort you while your crying over his dead body,” he taunted with a knowing glance. “He’d probably find a way to get you into his bed afterwards.”

“No, he wouldn’t!” I argued back, but a split second was all I needed for me to admit, “You’re probably right.”

“I’m always right,” he laughed. “And I’m right that he is probably looking for you right now.”

“I don’t want to see him.”

“Sounds sensible.”

“Could I stay at your place for a bit? I promise I won’t get in the way-”

“Well,” he drawled out as he smacked the railing with the flat part of his hand. “Seeing that you are not emotionally ready to get back to work.”

“Oh no, I forgot about-”

“It can wait,” he assured me, and let me go once we reached the bottom level of the staircase. “Thanks for calling me, Tracy,” he said, as he stretched out his hand for the woman to shake. “I’ll take good care of her.”

She politely nodded after she shook his hand but avoided eye contact with me as I passed her by. If I was sane enough I would have called her out on it, but as it happens I was still in a daze, so lost in a wave of emotions that I couldn’t think clearly. Richards was the rock I needed right now, taking me by my forearm to lead me out the room and down the lower levels of Ares. I feared I would run into my brother, so I made extra effort to hide right behind Richards tall frame, pressing my face into the groove of his spine.

“Relax,” he said over his shoulder. “Your brother is just mad, that’s all.”

“I don’t want to see him.”

“He probably doesn’t want to see you either,” he chuckled, after he punched the elevator button. “You try explaining to his coworkers how he got such a nasty black eye.”

“He started it.”

“And Petyr finished it.” I poked my head around the outside of his shoulder to narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t give me that look!”

“You really don’t like him, do you?”

“As a matter of fact, I don’t.” He crossed his arms and tapped his right foot impatiently on the floor for a moment. “And I hope to god he doesn’t come to my place looking for you.”

“Why? You’re going to punch him?”

“No,” he groaned. “Knowing him, he’d probably turn around and stab me in the back when I’m not looking.” The elevator opened with a sharp _bing_ and Richards stalked his way into the elevator space with a look that nearly made me stop in my tracks. “You’ll be careful around him…” he grunted, once I finally stepped into the room with him. “Won’t you?”

“Of course, I will.”

He pressed the button to the third level and made sure he turned his head fully in my direction before he added, “Cause grief makes you do strange things.”

“I can take care of myself, _Richards._ ”

“I know you can,” he simply replied while he crossed his arms. “But you don’t have to do it alone, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” I said in a sarcastic voice, which earned me an annoyed shake of the head that left me laughing the whole ride upwards.

* * *

“You really think Dolus is dangerous?” I asked into the quiet room. Richards was still sitting on the couch with a glass of orange juice in his hand, and his legs spread out across the ottoman. I was leaning against his glass window, sipping on one of his Chai tea’s that he loved so very much. “Everyone seems against the idea.”

“I think we should be careful.” He scratched the side of his chin meditatively as he voiced aloud, “And I don’t like how eager this Petyr is to land there?”

“You think he knows something.”

“He doesn’t even know what galaxy we are in, so no, its hardly a possibility.”

“Then what’s wrong with him wanting to land there?”

“Why do _you_ want to land there?” he countered.

“Because I’m a historian,” I explained. “And an explorer. Why else would I sign up to join Vasken’s exploration team?”

“Because you were trying to live up to your parents’ expectations.”

“Oh, I gave that up a long time ago. My dad’s a hero- a legend of sorts, and I’ll never be able to fill in his boots.”

“You don’t have too.”

“I know,” I said, while the corner of my eye’s crinkles with merriment. “I’ve set a course of my own. How does it go again? I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

“So, you are,” he rejoined. “So, what are you going to do about Dolus?”

“Go down there.”

“Even though we all object to the idea?”

“Yes.”

“Mariam’s haunting stories haven’t changed your mind?”

“If I survived Plegethon’s caves I can survive just about anything,” I told him with a determined look. “Nothing they say will change my mind.”

“Then you’ll be sending a team down there? Do you want me to come?”

“Only if you want too.” I turned to the window to see an ever-continuing expansion of darkness, a single star shot threw the sky which drew my attention. _Petyr?_

“It would be better if I come with you,” Richards interrupted, clearly ignorant of how far my thoughts had wandered. “I can keep an eye on this parallel Pete.”

“You think he’ll run.”

“No, I think…” he bit down on his lip. “Let’s just hope I’m wrong.”

I leaned against the glass and gave him a searching look, but he was determined to keep his thoughts to himself. He got off the couch slowly, stretching himself before he wandered over to the other side of the room. He tapped his hands on the kitchen countertop with a rhythmic beat, and then flung open the cabinets in search of some food. “Do you want something to eat?”

“No, I’m good. Got to save my appetite for dinner.”

“You coming downstairs to eat with the rest of us?”

“I think so, but it all determines on how this psychological examination goes.”

“You’ll do fine,” he assured me, as he pulled out a box of cereal. “Don’t let Pete get into your head.”

“I’m not… good, Richards,” I admitted quietly. “You and I both know that.”

He pulled out a bowl from one of the cabinets and set it down on the countertop with a thoughtful expression. He stopped what he was doing and cleared his throat with some careful deliberation before he uttered, “I don’t talk about Patricia a lot. You know that’s a sensitive subject, right?”

“Yeah,” I hushed with a tiny nod of the head. I leaned off the glass window and headed towards him. “I know you miss her.”

“I don’t like talking about my feelings. Its fine hearing others, but for myself I like to keep it pushed down-”

“Suppressed,” I cut in. “Why do you do that, Richards?”

“Because its easier.” He offered me a false smile once I stood directly in front of him, probably thankful that the countertop stood in between us. “I miss my wife,” he confessed more to himself than me. “Its been five god damn years, and I feel like she must have given up and moved on with her life. What if she marries again? What if she just shuts off all her feelings and forgets about me?” He dragged the bowl closer to his abdomen, and let his fingers enrapture the light turquoise bowl. “You have Pete! I don’t know if that’s fate, or the gods are being kind, but most people don’t have the opportunity to meet their loved ones again like that. I just wish this Petyr wasn’t so… corrupted.”

“Its like there is two people with him. There’s the sweet Petyr that we all love, and then there’s… well, its hard to put into words.”

“A schemer,” he groaned. “Manipulator.”

“Selfish,” I sighed. “Cares for nobody but himself, and it looks like he’s not going to change anytime soon.”

“You can,” he suggested. “But then again, its impossible for you to change his nature.” He lifted up the box of cereal and poured the frosted flakes into the bowl with a thoughtful expression. “Maybe,” he stopped abruptly, and placed the box down beside him. “Try and have him channel it in a different direction. Something positive-”

“He’s not a saint, Richards,” I joked.

“Far from it!” he laughed and moved away from me to go open up his tiny fridge that was on the other end of the countertop. “Have a talk with him, Sansa, it might do him some good. And not… in bed.” He looked over his shoulder with his lips curled slightly, as though he was trying to hold back a grin. “No man will hear a word you say.”

“Thanks for the tip,” I sassily replied back. “I should probably get going. There is still a lot of work to be done and I have the examination in less than an hour.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks, Rich. I’ll need it,” I told him, before I turned around and made my way out of his apartment door.

* * *

I sat down on a comfy leather couch before I crossed my legs and forced myself to look cool and collected. I was wearing a mask as you will, but I knew Doctor Wong was familiar enough with me to see right through it. She sat on a chair opposite me with a tiny tablet in hand, and her stylish haircut tied back harshly into a bun that made her take on a professional air. _So here we are,_ I thought, _the doctor and their patient._

She lowered her tablet to look at me kindly, but there was a hint of concern in the back of her eyes. “Good afternoon, Sansa,” she quietly said. “How are you today?”

“Fine,” I answered her, not feeling like opening up to her in this unnatural setting.

“Before we start I think I should tell you what this examination will be like. I will ask you a series of questions to determine any signs of stress or mental help. This process can help a person determine whether there is a concern in their life that should be addressed; usually with the help of learning more about it, I can offer you professional help to assist you with this issue.”

“I have no issues.”

“I was speaking in general terms, my dear. I think you should know everything we discuss here is completely confidential.”

“I should hope so.”

“So, you can be open and honest with me.”

I turned my head away from her purposely and stared at the blank wall. _I feel like an animal in a cage._

“Today we will engage in a clinical interview. So, I will ask you personal questions about your life and your background.”

“Why?”

“To better understand you. Your past will understandably influence your decisions and your attitudes towards life.”

“I had a good life.”

“A good life, a bad life, it all impacts your behaviour and thinking process. You are the leader of Elisium’s Council, and it is your decisions that will impact each and every person on this ship.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because its important,” she urged, and looked saddened when I crossed my arms tightly around my chest. “Sansa, this process will be quick and painless. But if you wish to make it difficult than it will be.”

“Just start it,” I drawled out with impatience.

She sighed and turned off the tablet with a saddened look. “I’m not going to ask the questions proposed to me on this page, instead I just want to talk to you. This will be recorded so I can review this information later. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” she breathed, and uncrossed her legs so the toes of her feet were pointed towards me. “How was your family life?’

“Good. My dad was always busy with work. He worked for Vasken for most of his life. I’m surprised he and Petyr never met… unless… well, I never really thought to ask him.”

“Try and stay on topic,” she gently reminded me. “You’re family.”

“My mom stayed at home, since she had to take care of five kids. We were close, all of us got along for some reason. Jon was always the outsider, but that’s because we never really knew who his mother was, and that was like a thorn in my mom’s side for as long as I can remember.”

“And how did you feel about it?”

“I felt bad,” I admitted. “But I think her cold behaviour towards him influenced me. I’m not… as kind to him, as I am to my other brothers.”

“Why?”

“Maybe the environment? Watching how he was treated and replicating that?”

“And your relationship with your brother now?”

I laughed at her question and took the time to fidget with the end of my sleeve. “Worse than ever before.”

“Why?”

“Because he hates Petyr.” I dropped both of my hands on my lap to give Doctor Wong my full attention. “He thinks I can do better.”

“Do you?”

“Yes and no. Not with the old one, but this new one… I don’t know.”

“And is this issue you are dealing with now?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think it will effect your leadership skills, or your ability to lead Ares?”

“No. We all deal with personal things, don’t we?”

“We do,” she concurred with a sad expression. “But back to your family. Would you say you had a good childhood?”

“Better than most.”

“And your adolescence?”

“Busy with school and trying to get into Vasken academy. Trying to ignore the fact that my name, Stark, drew a lot of unwanted attention.”

“Did you feel the pressure?”

“No, it just annoyed me. I knew my brothers and sisters dealt with the same kind of shit, so whatever.”

“You sound angry.”

“Do I?” I paused to consider it but found there was no anger there. “No, it came with some benefits, so I wouldn’t say that.”

“Like what?”

“Instant popularity,” I pointed out. “Favouritism from the professors.”

“Do you feel the need to be accepted by others? Admired?”

“Before yes,” I laughed with the remembrance of it. “Especially when you look at the guys I used to go out with. But I’m not like that now.”

“Then what are you like?”

“I don’t care what anyone thinks,” I spat out, and uncrossed my legs at that moment.

“And that’s a good thing?”

“If you want me to lead this ship then _yes._ ”

She stared at me long and hard, as though she was searching for something. She opened her mouth and then closed it quickly, forcing her thoughts to keep to themselves. “How was… your adult life?”

“The one I’m living now?” I mockingly asked.

“You can say that.”

“Eventful. When Captain Davos asked me to go down to Plegethon for my first mission I thought it was a death warrant. I never knew the amount of people I would meet, the knowledge I would find down there. A whole world- an advanced civilization, if you count out the lack of technology.” I ground my teeth together as I forced my eyes away from hers. “And I met Pete.”

“How are you handling the grief?”

“The best way I can.”

“And how _do_ you handle it?”

“By taking it each day at a time,” I told her honestly. “And remembering that he wanted me to do this. He _chose_ me, those were his words.”

“And did you think you should have been the chosen one?”

“The chosen one,” I jibed. “I think he knew what he was doing.”

“And what about this new one?” she slyly asked, as though she wasn’t meant to speak it. “What do you think of him?”

“I think he’s trouble.”

She drew her tablet close to her chest and stared at me long and hard. “I think that is all for today,” she suddenly spoke aloud. “Thank you for your time.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I’ll have you come in tomorrow to take some electronic questionnaires.”

“Will arrive at Dolus by then,” I pointed out. “We won’t have time for that.”

“Then at your earliest convenience.”

“Sure.” Doctor Wong was the first to stand up and hold the door wide open for me. “You won’t tell Pete what I truly think about him. Will you?”

“No, Sansa,” she assured me with a motherly look. “Just as I won’t tell you what he thinks about _you._ ”

I took a step back in surprise, and she used that window of opportunity to walk away from me.

* * *

It took me longer than it should to find Petyr. For one thing, no one seemed to know exactly where he had gone after the examination. For another, he still didn’t have a tracking device or a communication device yet, so that was another cumbersome dilemma I had to deal with. In the end, Diego was helpful enough to take me to his office and have a look on the security cameras.

“Let’s see,” he mumbled, as he skimmed through some video recordings from the last few hours. “It looks like he was in the medical wing for a while. Poor bastard!”

“Not a fan?”

“Of them punching and prodding me, as though I was a science experiment, then no.”

“I’m sure he got it worse.”

“Yeah, but that’s what happens when your from another universe.” He fingered a few buttons that made the screen go this way and that at lightening speed. Diego was smart, perhaps more than his predecessor. He wasn’t physically intimating, but he was good at his job and knew the ways of the security force inside and out. He was never part of the Zimmerman Project, but instead landed on Plegethon a few years later on a small ship with only him and one other survivor. He was a part of Vasken’s rivalry exploration team, Ziggy, named after the famous David Bowie song from the twentieth century. It was a running joke to be a part of the company, a laughing stock that Diego was clearly aware off, but chose to ignore. For such an unfortunate name, it was hard to deny the companies wide range of diversity, including species that were non-human and artificial intelligence _. Petyr must have had a heart attack when he found out where Diego came from,_ I mused, which put an awkward smile on my face.

“I never did have an opportunity to give my presentation,” Diego suddenly said in a tense voice. “I know something came up but…”

“I’m sorry. That meeting was a disaster from start to finish. It didn’t help that I was late.”

“An hour and half to be exact.”

“Yes.” _Thank you for the reminder_. “Something came up.”

“So, you keep saying,” he brazenly replied, and paused the flickering screen to look at me. “If you had let me present I would have informed you that I don’t think our team is ready to go down there yet. We lost a lot of men when we fought off Vasken’s A.I. and are still recuperating. It doesn’t help that no one is willing to join our team. Those robots scared the shit out of everybody!”

“Do you want me to force them?”

“No, this isn’t some conscription from the dark ages. I just wanted to let you know.”

“We have to build up moral,” I acknowledged. “Things have been pretty dark lately.”

“You think everyone’s been listening to Pink Floyd,” he joked. “Radiohead.”

“Who?”

“Never mind.” He dragged a lever down and started up the multiple screens. “Just keep an eye out on your hubby.”

“My what?”

“Petyr.”

“He’s not my-”

“He left around 1400 hours,” he interrupted, and pointed at a screen to see him standing outside having a heated conversation with Doctor Wong. “He doesn’t look too pleased.”

“Crossed arms is never a good thing with Pete.”

“He’s leaving now. Staying on the same level as before.”

“So, not upstairs.”

“Or down,” he countered, noticing that Petyr walked past the elevator lobby. “The camera cuts off there. We know he went down the main hallway, so there are a lot of of options to choose from.”

“The cafeteria?” I suggested. “But he would be too angry to eat something.”

“Plus, the stuff they stick into makes you not want to eat anything for hours.”

“Yeah. What about the Captain’s observatory deck, his office, the bridge?”

“I can take a look.” He punched in a code to see multiple monitors displaying the said area. “Looks like everyone is hard at work.”

“And no Pete.”

“Anywhere else?”

“If he was looking for me, he might come here to the security area. They have a tracker on me.”

“Would he know that?”

“I haven’t told him yet.”

“I can take a look.” He punched in a new set of codes, and only the front desk to the security section was seen. We watched it for a couple of seconds before we saw Petyr swagger through the front door and lean heavily over the counter. “He’s talking to someone. I think that’s Jimmy.”

They both talked for a few seconds before Jimmy rung someone on his communication device and sent him into the main security area. “What the fuck?” Diego shouted. “Did they even brief him before letting him in?”

“He’s the top of the food chain. They don’t need to do that with him.”

“Not on my watch,” he snapped, and paused the screen to grab his black baseball cap and pull it down over his short military buzzed cut hair. “Let’s go,” he ordered, and marched out the room without another word.

We went down the main hallway to the security quarters, and eventually went to the front desk that we saw on the monitor screen earlier. There were people lined up there for inquires, but Diego walked past them, shoving a man aside to stand directly in front of the desk. “Che diavol sta succedendo?”

“What?” Jimmy asked with his hands over his chest defensively. “What have I done?”

“Cut the bullshit, Jimmy! Ma che casso fai?”

He looked around for help, clearly feeling as pinned as a butterfly on the wall. “I’ve done nothing!”

“Nothing,” Diego sneered with his nails digging into the countertop in front of him.

“What have I done? Tell me!”

“You let a man go into this premise without speaking to an authority or letting him be properly cleared. You know the fucking protocol! And if you can’t follow it, then I will get someone else to do it.”

“Was it- was it Lord Baelish, sir?”

“Don’t speak his fucking name aloud, you idiot!”

“Mi dispiace.”

“What did he want?”

“Security card. He wanted to go into his apartment room.”

“I already gave him a clearance and an aural password.”

“For a new room, sir.”

“A what?”

I pushed my way into the crowd and stood next to Diego when I explained, “He wants Petyr’s old quarters. The one no one knows about.”

“That mansion? Why the devil would he want that?”

I bite my lip at him, feeling somewhat guilty at that exact moment.

Diego turned his attention back to his co-worker again. “Did you give it to him?”

“I sent him to Annita. She would have to go through the protocol with him.”

“You should have sent him to Robert,” he argued back. “You know how weak minded she could be. The devil, how much access did she give the bastard.” He strode away now, pulling the beak of his cap over his eyes in fury.

“Is this so bad?” I asked him. “Letting him have that room?”

“We know nothing about him, except what he has said. And its nearly impossible to get a background check on him since he came from a completely different universe. The guy could have a criminal record and wouldn’t know a scratch about it.” He burst open the door and found a frail looking woman half startled to death. “Knocking is for another time,” he barked at her, before she could make any objections. “What did you give Lord Baelish?”

“A security card to go into his new room.”

“What else?”

“I punched him down for an access code to look into all of the confidential records. He has a meeting with you tomorrow morning.”

“Cancel it!”

“Sir.”

“He’s not getting nothing till I know more about him.”

“But he’s-”

“I know who he fucking is! Excuse the language, I just can’t take…” he sighed quickly and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You guys run this place like you’re the King and Queen, and the problem is you start to think you’re above the law.”

“I don’t!” I objected with a strength of feeling.

“Maybe you don’t, but he does.”

“I’ll talk to him,” I quickly said. “Did he head straight there afterwards?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then that’s where I am heading as well.”

“You better give him a firm warning, or I will,” Diego warned as he held open the door for me.

“I will.”

“And don’t give him any of your codes or nothing. You already have too much control of this ship, and I don’t want it to fall into some stranger’s hands.”

“I’ll keep it safe.”

“You better.”

* * *

There was barely a sound when I opened the front door to Petyr’s new living quarters. The lights were on, and the faint fragrance of his body wash and cologne lingered in the air. I closed the door behind me gently, not wanting him to know I was here just yet, it wasn’t until I bent down to untie my shoelace that I noticed something wrong.

_What the hell?_

I froze at the sight of Petyr’s grimy leather boots laying flat on the floor without a care, but it was the shoes perfectly lined up on the rubber mat that made my jaw tighten up with anger. _I’m going to kill him._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interested to hear your comments on Sansa's journey so far, and who do you think is in the room with parallel Pete ;)


	9. Black Smoke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa hears things she shouldn't when overhearing a conversation in Petyr's old quarters. The information she learns helps her make important decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Black Keys- 10 Lovers" was playing in the background when writing this, so you might want to give it a listen.
> 
> \- petyrbaaaeeelish

The rooms to Petyr’s old quarters was completely silent; ever so slowly I raised myself back to my feet, trying to fight back the burning anger that was raging inside of me.

 _That bitch_. I took a soft step forward, ensuring my footsteps couldn’t be heard. _That skank, hoe, motherfucking bitch that always feels the need to dig her claws into Petyr._

“I’m going to kill her,” I murmured under my breath.

There was a stifling cough to the left of me, coming from Petyr’s old work area. _Well, at least its not coming from the bedroom,_ I noted, and crept up the three steps of stairs till I reached the impasse that either took me left or right.

There was soft murmurings of voices carrying down the hall to the left of me, telling me that they were at least carrying on some sort of conversation. Their exact words, however, escaped me, but I could tell Petyr was engaged by the tone of his voice.

 _Why is she here,_ I wondered, hating the fact that she was probably standing in the exact same spot I was only a few hours ago. _Why did Petyr have to invite her up here?_

I would have been annoyed if he had met Mariam anywhere, but taking her here was the last straw. _As if he hadn’t plucked the last straw a long time ago._ I knew for certain now, that it was in fact Mariam in the room with Petyr. Her peppy high-pitch voice of hers that had often made me want to cover my ears in annoyance, now made me want to wrap my knobby fingers around her throat.

_He’s not worth it…_

_Neither is she…_

I was about to turn around and head out the door, too emotionally exhausted to confront them both in person when I heard Mariam’s voice grow louder as she remarked, “Odd that you should have the same ring as Petyr.”

“The dark red one?” he asked. “With the golden band?’

“The same as Sansa’s,” she answered him bitterly. I stopped where I was, noticing how their voices suddenly echoed across the hallway, enough for me to hear their voices clearly. _Have enough time for a quick get-away too,_ I noted. _Or confront them…_

“Yes, I’m surprised she has it,” Petyr remarked after a long pause. The sounds of paper stacking on top of another could be heard, as if he was organizing something.

“You wouldn’t have given it to her?” Mariam asked, her cheerful voice betraying how she really felt about the matter.

“No.” Petyr started to cough again, hacking into his sleeve for it sounded muffled after a short while. “Christ, that was awful,” he mumbled, and I heard the desk creaking loudly as though he was sitting on it.

“What was awful?”

“That examination,” he wheezed, before he started to cough again.

“That won’t make you feel better!” she yelled out of nowhere, which made me take a few steps forward so I could try and have a peak around the corner.

“How would you know?”

“Basic science,” she joked, which made no one laugh but herself. Petyr’s coughs died away, and then a temporary silence lapsed between them. I had to freeze where I was, lest they hear me creeping about the carpet floor.

“Why are you looking at me that way?” Petyr asked out of the blue.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t set the ship on fire with that thing.”

“Relax, its space ship friendly,” he assured her, before another comfortable silence fell between the two of them. I heard Mariam walking about the room with a tired sigh, before a drawer- no, it must have been a steel cabinet opening, the kind that made the metallic squeak whenever you cracked it open like a mummy breaking out of its tomb.

“Leave it to Petyr to have paper copies,” she grumbled. Folders being pushed back inside the cabinent could be heard, but aside from that it was dead silence. I saw a puff of black smoke heading my way, and that familiar metallic scent warned me it belonged to parallel Petyr’s strange smoking mechanism.

“So, did you ever sleep with him?”

The cabinet slammed with a loud clamour, knocking the back of it hard against the wall. I immediately stood up straighter from the sound, but even more so in expectation of Mariam’s answer.

“No, but I can’t pretend I didn’t want too.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“It would have complicated things. We casual dated, sort of on and off.”

“But, no casual sex?”

“Petyr wasn’t like that.”

“That Petyr,” he corrected with a sharpness to his voice.

“He was…” she paused, and I heard her ruffling papers nervously. “How should I say it? Very upright, proper-”

“It’s a shame,” he cut off, and the tone of his voice told me it was on purpose. ‘You’re a beautiful woman. I don’t see why he would deny you that.”

“Pete was Pete,” she explained. “And that’s all I can say about it.”

“And you didn’t…” he stopped himself, as though he wanted to leave her thoughts to go on for a moment. “Try and convince him.”

“Not exactly.” The puff of black smoke grew denser in the hallway, as though it was black soot coming straight out of a chimney. _It must be even worse in there._ “I might have tried a little,” Mariam continued. “But…”

“But?”

“Well, you tell me why you would refuse me.”

“Who said I would refuse?” he quipped, and it was only then that he knew he got her.

“Well, I am married,” she carefully said, showing she was actually considering his sly proposition.

“I can tell by that ring on your finger, but that makes little difference to me. It’s odd really…. how comfortable I feel around you.”

“You do?”

“Yes! With Sansa it feels like a magnet, like I’m being drawn to her against my will. But… with you its different.”

“Petyr and I were intellectually suited to one another,” she stated as a matter of fact. “That is something Sansa can never say… thankfully.”

“Thankfully,” he drawled out, letting his voice being carried away by the strength of his Irish brogue.

“And to think he would be so carried away by her in a matter of days! Sleeping with her, asking her to marry him, its-”

“Stupid,” he interjected. “He must have lost his mind.”

“No, he was completely sane.”

“Do you think Sansa is?” he suddenly asked. “Sane, that is?”

“I think so.”

“Not after the grief she encountered. I’d say she is teetering on the edge. One small misstep and…” a rush of black air flew past, as though Petyr’s voice alone was the wind that carried it to me. I wish I could say it was the dense smoke that made my eyes water, but I knew it was his words- the things he was saying that made it that way.

“You could be right,” Mariam concurred after a while. “She does isolate herself a great deal.”

“Depression?”

“Who wouldn’t be depressed after the way Petyr went?” she shot back. “It was horrible… just horrible.”

“So, I’ve been told.”

“Oh, you can feign cold indifference all you like. I know its just a way to disguise how you truly feel.”

There was a thump on the ground, like he jumped off the desk to bring himself closer to her. “And how do I feel?”

“I don’t know. It’s hard to tell with you.”

“You’re wrong.” He paused for a certain affect, masking the air with a cloud of uncertainty. “I’m really quite clear. You just have to know where to look.”

“I am looking,” she sneered unexpectedly, like something he did had suddenly annoyed her. “For anything that tells me about this planet Dolus or how to defeat Vasken, or that’s why you at least invited me up here.”

“I did.”

Another awkward pause ensued, but it was enough for me to take small careful steps forward to peek around the corner of the hall. Petyr was there in his white scientific uniform and his hair perfectly combed to the side in a professional manner. Everything else was more attuned to him: The silver box with the long stem he pressed firmly in his mouth before he let a dark cloud of smoke escape his nostrils and lips. The way his uniform was unzipped to reveal the top part of his chest, as if the mere shred of cloth was chocking the very life of him. He was standing in front of Mariam, who was looking at Petyr as though she was bewitched. The brown folder in his her left hand was half forgotten at her side, while her right hand unconsciously stroked her shoulder length hair behind her ear and curling the loose ends with her fingers. There they were, each lost in their own world, unaware that I was like a fly on the wall watching the entire scene in anger.

“I think you invited me here for something else, Pete,” she spoke up, her voice softer than usual as she eyed him up and down.

“What makes you say that?”

“Just a feeling.”

“Did you often get that with the other one.”

“Once or twice.”

“Once or twice,” he repeated.

“Once.”

“And?”

“Nothing ever happened.”

“Shame.”

“Very.”

Another pause, but this time it was Mariam who looked like she was teetering on the edge of something.

“Theodore would kill me,” she grumbled, and let her shoulders fall forward with some level of defeat. “I’m happy, Pete, really I am.”

“And yet, you’re here,” he noted, while the last bit of smoke filled the air around him.

“I should leave.”

“It’s your choice.”

“You want me to stay.”

“I’m not going to tell you what to do, Mar, its your decision.”

“You called me ‘Mar,’” she said with a large smile. “I haven’t heard that nickname in a while.”

Petyr clamped the stem down to his device, and blew away some grey powder around it before he stuck it into his side pocket. He was standing before her, but his mind was elsewhere. “I should look for Sansa,” he said after he cleared his throat. “Its been a few hours since I’ve seen her.”

“And you take that time to come looking for me instead.”

“You seem surprised.”

“No, I’m pleased.”

“Well, that’s a first,” he teased, it was one last effort of flirting before he positioned himself away from her, leaning forward to brush back his bangs that were steadily creeping across his forehead. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Yes, but you have to keep yourself under control this time.”

“Don’t I always?” he asked, before he took a few step forwards and then bumped into me in the hallway. “San- Sansa?”

“Hello Pete.”

“What a pleasure to see you here-”

“Cut the bullshit, Petyr. I heard everything.”

“Right…” He looked over his shoulder to see Mariam’s guilty expression, before he turned his gaze back to me. “Mind if we speak about this alone.”

“Mariam!” I shouted out. “Get out, and tuck your tail between your legs this time.”

She shot me a look of spitefulness as she walked past us, and it wasn’t until I heard the front door close behind her that I had the gall to look at Petyr again.

“I know what you are thinking?”

“Oh, you have no fucking idea what I am thinking!”

“Sansa,” he droned, the second I walked past him to get out of the room. “Will you let me explain.”

“Your need to seduce every little thing that walks down the hall. What’s the matter? One pussy isn’t enough?”

“Really, Sansa,” he sarcastically said. “Is that what you think?”

“Its what I know,” I told him, before I entered the laboratory area and headed straight for the long drawer stacked high against the wall in the far corner. “Go on! Tell me your excuses, like I haven’t heard the same shit before. You know you men are all alike, you think your so damn clever until you get caught!” I grabbed the handle and forced it open to find the secret stash of alcohol that I knew the old Petyr would have carried on the ship. Unfortunately for me, it was the hard stuff that only my Petyr could have swallow down. “I’m listening.”

“I wanted information.”

“Information?”

“To know what she wanted. The things that drive her… wants, desires, motivations-”

“Like your cock!”

“Yes, like my cock. And other things…”

“Other things.”

“You have no idea what its like to have people instantly trust you, because you have the face of someone they loved.”

“Actually, I do! I’m staring at him right now, and you know what…” I clenched my fist and pounded it against my thigh to quell my frustration. “I can do so much better than you!”

“Because I’m not like your Pete.”

“Because you are a fucking scheming manipulator who has an agenda of their own! How am I supposed to trust you? Even build some kind of frickin relationship with you? For fuck’s sakes! Taking Mariam up here-”

“Sansa.”

“This place was supposed to be special!” I interjected, before he could go any further. “For months I’ve been shunning this place, because anything that reminded me of him would bring me on the verge of tears. You have no idea how hard it is to care for someone, and then lose them.” I walked up to him and beat his chest with my fists, and he took it silently to my surprise. “I hate you!”

“Do you?”

“I do.”

He caught my flying wrists and held them steadily, much to my dismay. “Let me go.”

“Please calm down. You are being over dramatic, as usual.” This only made me wriggle my wrists out of his hand to beat him in the center of the chest again, and he took it with pursed lips. “Are you finished?’

“No! I have half a mind to call security and send you to the brig.”

He took a step back, and let my hands hover in the air awkwardly before I let it fall back to my sides. “Mariam, is undoubtedly the most valuable person on this ship. Not only does she have all of the scientific knowledge, but she understands A.I. and bio-artificial intelligence that will help us defeat Vasken.”

“You want to defeat Vasken?”

“I know you do.”

“I do.” I shut my eyes deliberately as I mumbled, “But I want to stop Jane more.”

“Then I’ll help you.”

“Why would you want to help me?”

“Because we’re a team,” he drawled out, as he took a large step towards me. He stood uncomfortably close now, making me feel a tension running through the air. “Or have you seen my vain attempts at seducing Mariam’s thwart that.”

“Vain attempts.”

“I’ll have to try harder next time.”

“No, you won’t!”

“You’re right. Seeing you with me will be enough.”

“There’s something wrong with you.”

“With me?” he slyly asked, and raised his eyebrow as though I was being hypocritical.

“You have no idea what kind of afternoon I had. Don’t fuck with me!”

“I like this fierce version of you.”

“You want to see fierce,” I warned, while leaning forward to press my finger against the center of his chest where I knew his scar would be.

“I do.”

“Petyr fucking Baelish, get out of my sight.” He raised his eyebrows in surprise, and when I kept the same stern profile, he decided it was best to back away.

“I confess, if the opportunity did arise I would sleep with Mariam but only for my own satisfaction. My ego, it didn’t do so well knowing she so openly rejected me. The people in your galaxy… they put such a high value to everything.”

“And yours doesn’t,” I stated, though it felt more like a question once I dropped my finger away from his chest.

“Mine is very different,” he explained, as he moved in a little more closer to me. “I almost wish I could bring you back there, just so you can see it.”

“Seeing you is more than enough!” I snapped. “I’m angry with you, Petyr. I don’t think you realized how long I had been listening to you.”

“Enough to think that I have some sort of interest in Mariam.”

“You do!”

He laughed with closed lips, making him look almost maniacal as he leaned his head down to his chin. “No,” he droned low under his breath. “I have as much interest in her, as your Petyr did.”

“Lies.”

“Maybe.” His lips puckered with fondness, while his eyes narrowed slightly to take me in. “Maybe not.”

“You’re driving me insane,” I confessed. “I don’t think your clever. I think you’re mad!”

Petyr’s eyebrows raised with amusement, before he reached over my shoulder to pluck something from the shelf. “Should we try it?” he asked, while his eyes retained the same gravity towards me.

“I have no interest in getting drunk, especially with you.”

“A sip?”

“No.”

“You really are mad,” he deliberated aloud, and pulled the small bottle of whiskey down to his chest and held it tightly with one hand. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

“You can leave.”

“Sansa, listen to me. There was nothing in what I said to Mariam. I simply said everything she wanted to hear. This is a game, don’t you understand?”

“I’m tired of games.”

“There are games all around you, and sooner or later you will have to join one. Sansa, sweetling, don’t you know I have your best interests in heart?”

“Funny.”

“It may not seem like it, but it is,” he relayed in a steady voice, and laid the palm of his hand on my right shoulder for extra assurance.

“All I see is a liar, who uses whatever means to get what he wants.” I brushed his hand off my shoulder with a dramatic flick of the wrist before adding, “And I’m tired of it.”

He watched me leave the room, not saying another word as I walked out of the laboratory and study room where I found the pair of them earlier. I knew he was behind me to a certain degree, when I heard the soft padding of his feet down the hallway, but it wasn’t until I past the three steps to take me to the ground level that I heard him call out my name.

“What do you want, Pete?” I tiredly asked, after I turned around to face him. He was taller than me when he was on the opposite side of the staircase, casting a shadow down on my side of the floor that was larger than it should be.

“You don’t believe me.”

“I’d be a fool to believe you.”

“You’d be a fool not too.”

“You like these little mind games, don’t you? Playing with words, getting into people’s minds to get what you want.” I stopped to let out a huff of frustration, taking in the impassive expression written across his face. “You know I spent almost an hour crying over your dead body downstairs, so much that they had to get people to pull me off your bloody coffin. And you know what! That Petyr deserved it, every single second of it, but you… I wouldn’t shed a single tear for you.”

“I don’t want your tears.”

“Well, you’re not getting it!”

“Sansa,” he called out, the second I started to walk away from him. “I know this must look bad but believe me when I tell you there is no one else.”

“I’ve heard that one before too.” I laughed mockingly at him, while I held the front door open. “Tell Mariam to leave her husband. Its obvious she wants to get in your pants. I wish her luck, it will be hard lying in bed with someone as two-faced as you.” I shut the door behind me after that, and charged down the hall just in case he decided to follow me.

* * *

It’s amazing what you can do to let out some steam. I went straight to my room and played some loud rock music that set my heart pumping, and my nerves on an edge. I called Richards on his communicator for twenty-minutes and nearly cried over the things I overheard in the study room before they found out I was there. I beat my pillow on the couch into oblivion. I boiled the kettle for tea, and then forgot about it as I stared into the blackness of space, feeling it was reflecting how I felt at the moment. I looked through Petyr’s old photo album, half smiling at the pictures of when he was a child, but even those moments were stained now.

The clock in the kitchen chimed it was 14:00 hours, a reminder that dinner would begin in an hour. I had no inclination to go downstairs, or see anyone for that matter. Richards promised to come in and check on me as soon as he was done his work. Jon wasn’t answering any of my messages, so I stop calling him after the fourth time. I took to the couch and laid in a fetal position with a pillow gently resting beneath my head. My mind was replaying the interview with Doctor Wong, the haunting words she slipped out, “Or what Petyr thinks of you…”

 _What did he actually think of me,_ I wondered, _but would he even tell the truth to her?_ Petyr was a habitual liar, and it was only natural for him to lie all the time rather than tell the truth. _What is the truth? I knew nothing about him, and at this moment I wanted to have nothing to do with him too._

He openly admitted to playing games with Mariam to get information, but what was this information for? What was his end game? His goal, that he pretended too naturally align with mine? He was a man of secrets, a mystery that needed to be uncovered whether I wanted too or not.

By 14:50 I heard a buzzer at the door, and knew it wasn’t Richards because he had the odd habit of knocking. Slinking off the couch, I staggered towards the door and opened it slowly to get used to the bright lighting in the hallway. “Mind if I come in?” Petyr asked quietly.

“I do.”

“I’ll come back later then,” he relayed soberly, and was just about to turn around when I caught his forearm to freeze him in place.

“Come,” I ordered, and opened the door wider to let him come inside my room. There was some slight embarrassment remembering he was here this morning, and the memories of what he had done was still fresh in my mind- and marked deep into my skin now that I think about it. I zipped my collar up all the way as I led him into the room, and sat down at the wooden desk to feign some sense of a formal setting.

“I think we should talk,” he said, as he sat down backwards on the chair with his legs open wide enough to peak out of the sides. He leaned his forearms against the back of the chair and brushed back his half gelled hair back tiredly.

“I’m done talking.”

“You had time to cool down.”

“To think, you mean, about how much of a bastard you are.”

“Sansa,” he groaned into his mouth that was now covering a portion of his face. “If you can just see-”

“How you took advantage of me! And Mariam, and probably the rest of Elisium Council if I let you.”

“If you can just see the big picture.”

“What do you want? Huh! You talk about knowing what people want.” I tapped my forefingers on the desk in front of me, banging the table to get extra attention. “What the fuck do you want, Pete?”

“To go home.”

“And Mariam is your best bet on finding your way home. So, that’s the plan?”

“A portion of it. A small margin, if you will.”

“So, what’s your master plan then?”

“Stuff like that you learn to keep close to your chest.”

“What do you want from me, Pete? Honestly, if you stay here any longer I might order them to send you away. I don’t care if we don’t have an escape pod. I might just send you out into a capsule and hope someone finds your half frozen body one day.”

He folded his arms on top of another, saying nothing though his deadpan expression said it all. His voice was deadly when he droned, “Are you quite finished?”

“No!”

“Shut up, Sansa,” he sternly warned, and raised himself from his seat to tower over me suddenly. “The bigger picture!” he drawled out. “Is an alliance, between you and I.”

“No.”

“An alliance that would let us be in charge not only of Elisium Council, but even beyond that.”

“It’s still a no.”

“I know you need me as much as I need you.”

“You don’t need anybody,” I reminded him with a slam of my palm against the table. I stood up to be leveled with him, feeling the need to show my open opposition against him.

“Fate it seems brought us together, so why are you so eager to tear it apart?”

“Fate brought me the devil,” I shot back. “Hades in the fucking flesh.”

“Think of me what you will, but you and I are bound together somehow. No matter how much we _both_ want it, we can’t tear it apart.”

“See! You really don’t care for me.”

“At this moment, no I don’t.”

“You just wanted to get in my pants,” I exclaimed. “That’s all you ever wanted.”

“If that’s what you like to think, then sure.”

“What- what do you mean by that?”

“I think I was clear enough,” he said with indifference, and pushed the chair in before he headed towards the glass window. A silence lapsed between us, as we both stood on opposite sides of the room. I twisted my fingers around the tops of the chair, scrapping my nail across the golden decorative painting that gilded the top.

“I don’t make deals with the devil,” I shouted across the room after a few minutes.

“That’s very wise,” he said with his back towards me. He was more focused on the bleak surroundings in front of him, as though he was gaining strength from it.

“I actually think I’m stupid,” I confessed. “Letting you in here.”

“I’m thankful that you did.”

“Yes, you would be. You don’t have to be all polite and well-mannered with me. I know what you truly are.”

He turned around to face me, letting his hands enclose together in front of his chest methodically. “Thank you, Sansa.”

“I know a mask when I see one.”

“Because you have one too.”

“No.”

“You say that word often.”

“No,” I teased, and rolled my eyes at him before I went around the table to be closer to him. “I’m beyond angry with you.”

“I know.”

“You’re on the last straw. Forget it, toothpick because its smaller and once it breaks… we’re finished.”

There was a shadow of a smile on his lips, a thing that put me more at ease. “I’m glad things are back to normal.”

“What’s normal?” I teased, before I went around him to lean against the glass window at my side.

“Whatever this is,” he rejoined, as he leaned on the window as well.

“This is weird.”

“It is.”

I scratched the top of my head, hating myself for not being as angry as I was before with him. He was calm, so laid-back with his legs crossed over each as he leaned the whole of his back against the glass window. I noticed the lids of his eyes closing slightly, the way his chin raised comfortably upward to let the back of his head slide into place against the shiny surface behind him. The clock chimed for 15:00 hours in the distance, and I realized how truly long this day was. _And it's far from over,_ I deliberated, realizing we had not even reached the planet of Dolus yet.

“If you’re from a parallel universe have you encountered Dolus before?”

“Never.”

“Anyone on this ship?”

“No.”

“I see.” I rubbed my hand across my chin, letting my fingers fall down my white collar before I looked up at him. “Vasken?”

“No, sweetling.”

I bit my lip at him, wishing he wouldn’t call me that when I was trying to keep a careful distance from him. He noticed my sign of weakness, and slid along the glass window to bring himself closer to me. “Cat bit your tongue?” he asked with a devilish smirk.

“Very funny. You’re a comedian,” I sarcastically replied, and leaned myself off the glass to ground my feet into the floor.

“Sarcasm doesn’t fit you.”

“And it fits you?” I asked in an accusatory voice. I felt his body move in closer to me, like a shadow coming across my form.

“I’m sorry for upsetting you earlier.”

“Oh, I get an apology too.”

“And a kiss, if you’d like.”

“No,” I quickly said, and took a step back to prove it.

“Then what would you like?”

“For you to leave.”

“Then I’ll leave,” he breathed, and paused for a moment to see if I would change my mind before he left the room for good.

* * *

The dinner room was crowded when I walked through the doors, the cafeteria had been decorated by some of the staff members to celebrate the encroachment of planet Dolus. I squished my way through the crowd, deciding to find somewhere to sit that wouldn't be anywhere near Petyr. I was late for dinner already, and could tell most of the tables were full with people. I spotted Jon surrounded by a sea of grey coats, all of the engineers were laughing around a circular table near the back. _Jon looks like he is having a good time,_ I thought, and purposefully avoided eye contact when he happened to look in my direction.

 _Richards isn't here yet,_ I noticed, seeing the table where we usually sat together was already full with unknown people. _He'll probably have to work late tonight._

I felt silly standing in front of the entrance way alone, not knowing where to sit or who to speak to when I was so emotionally fragile as I was now. Doctor Wong and Andrews were sitting at a little table in the center of the room; the rest of the medical department like them where eating in complete silence, content on focusing on their food alone. _If only there was an extra seat._

There was some laughter to the right, and I peaked over a tall man's shoulder to see Petyr standing in front of a crowded table throwing something in the air and catching it with his mouth. A sexy looking blonde headed girl stood out of her seat with something in her hand and threw it in the air for Petyr to catch with his tongue eagerly hanging out of his mouth as he caught it. Everyone was cheering by now, and the flirty wink Petyr gave to the girl was enough for me to turn around and head out of the cafeteria doors.

"Sansa?" Captain Ali asked, as he headed towards the same entrance way that I had just come out of. "Are you unwell?"

"I'm fine."

He politely shooed away the group of men and women around him, and gently took my forearm to lead me to the side of the wall where no traffic was coming about. "You look quite pale," he observed. "Do you want me to get a doctor."

"I'm just tired, that's all. Overworked."

"It's Petyr, isn't it?" he boldly asked. "You haven't been the same since we found him yesterday afternoon."

 _It feels like weeks since we found him,_ I deliberated, _how can so much happen in so short a time period?_

"Maybe you need something to eat," he suggested. "Come sit with me."

"I don't- I really..." I pulled on the edges of my sleeve, trying to wrap it around my entire right hand. "I'd rather not."

"You want me to send some food upstairs for you."

"I- I think I just need sometime alone."

"I think you need someone to talk too. How about you wait here, and I'll grab something to eat for the both of us. Captain's orders."

He left me without another word, and marched down the hallway with an air of authority that was always about him. I remained cold and emotionless as I waited for him, preferring not to feel anything to give in to the emotions that were threatening to teem over.

He came in no time at all with something wrapped up in foiled paper in both of his hands. "Right, my office," he suggested, and led me forward with complacent ease. He was a calming presence, taking his time to lead me down the wide, well-polished hallways till we reached the front of his office. His hand print scanner lasted for a few seconds before the door clicked open and he pushed it open with the sides of his shoulder. "Lock the door, will you?"

He dropped our food down on the table, and pulled off his hat to reveal slightly matted hair. "I hope you like shawarma?"

"I don't mind it."

"I grabbed roti," he noted, as he unraveled his own dinner. "It reminds me of home."

He took a large bite into his wrap, trying not to let everything drip across the table the best he could. We ate in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts before I spoke up quietly: "Thank you."

"We all take care of each other," he answered me. "Especially those who are in charge. I think we should do stuff like this more often."

"Yeah."

"Richards and I are worried about you," he carefully said, with a sympathetic look about him. "You and this new Petyr."

"Its over," I flatly said. "I want nothing to do with him."

"So soon?"

"He's a dick."

Captain Ali pursed his lips with amusement, before he took another bite into his wrap. I tilted my head downwards and ate the last few bites of my dinner, wishing there was more, but I would have to go downstairs to get it. To distract my thoughts I lifted up the glass of water, Captain Ali silently offered me and drank it down leisurely.

"If you think he is bad you should meet his friends," Captain Ali abruptly spoke up. "They're an interesting bunch."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because its true."

"Maybe its the environment," I voiced aloud. "You know how a child has the capacity to be good or bad depending on their environment, or the type of childhood they had, well, maybe that's the same way with Pete. There's some good in him, but he continually chooses to make the _wrong_ decisions. Maybe he doesn't even know better."

"The classic nature vs nurture testament," he concluded. "I've heard such theories before."

"We know nothing about his universe, and everything he has revealed to me has been negative. He's bitter... angry-"

"That is still no excuse for his behaviour," he interrupted.

"I'm not excusing him," I defended myself. "I'm just trying to make sense of it all."

"He's a bad seed," he said with a stuffed mouth. Captain Ali took up a napkin and covered his mouth as he added, "And if we aren't careful he will bear bad fruits."

"He's a thorn," I countered. "A weed."

"So, what should we do?"

"Send him away," I told him. "We deal with Dolus first, and afterwards figure out what to do with him."

"Are you sure?" he asked me after he swallowed the last of his dinner. "I know you have feelings for this man."

"Not him."

"You have too," he remarked with certainty. "He looks like our Pete... talks like him."

"A ghost," I relayed. "A mere shadow of the man of the man I love."

"Yes, but could you really send him away?"

"I have no choice." I crumpled up the silver foil wrapping paper and tossed it in the garbage bin next to his desk. "I have to have some sense of dignity."

"I think you are doing the right thing, Sansa."

"Yeah, well..." I opened the door to his office when I mused aloud, "Who said doing the right thing is easy," before I waved him a goodbye and left his quarters.

 


	10. One Step Closer

_Time to find out the truth._

I knocked on the door, and took a nervous step back, anxious of the stranger I was about to meet as I heard footsteps echoing from within the room. It opened widely, and I was shocked to see a man’s half-naked appearance as he smirked back at me.

 _This was a mistake,_ I thought, as he offered me a grin that reminded me of a man I was most anxiously trying to ignore.

“Well, hello there,” he slyly cooed, like a man not upset at the person before him. Dark brown eyes burrowed into mine with faint amusement, his smooth cheeks crinkling like the corner of his eyes the longer he took in the flushness to my cheeks. He leaned against the doorway heavily, letting the toned muscles along his chest and abdomen relax, still he was muscular enough to not make it an unpleasant view. “Are you looking for something?”

“Does Petyr live here?”

“He does,” he replied with a slow nod of his head. His hands rubbed across the front of his stomach where the sides of long black viper snaked across it, the harshness of the black ink reminded me of Petyr’s own tattoo. I was fixated by the design, and the vividness of the red eyes staring right at me, even though it was etched deeply into the left side of the man’s chest. He noted my silence, taking his time to look at the his own long-stretched tattoo for his own amusement. “You like it?”

“Its- its cool,” I remarked, trying to play it off like it was nothing special.

“The Red Viper,” he drawled, before he stood up straighter to show just how chiselled his chest really was.

“Sounds dangerous,” I joked. The nagging questions continued to plague my mind, however, so I took a careful step forward and inquired, “You mind if I look around?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Its just,” I paused, and blinked nervously as I tried to pull my thoughts together. “I want to know more about him.”

“Petyr,” he stated, while he rubbed his hands through his short brown locks.

“Yes,” I breathed. My hands fidgeted behind my back, pulling on the ridged bone along my wrists as I fought internally with myself. “I want to better understand him.”

“Well, I can’t just let you walk around his apartment without knowing who you are-”

“Sansa,” I cut in. “Sansa Stark.”

“Oh, I heard about you,” he laughed, letting the door open a little wider. “Come in, come in,” he kept repeating with a friendly wave of the hand. “The great Sansa Stark is most welcome,” he joked, and offered me half a bow as though I was a queen.

It was apparent that that the survivors from Petyr’s parallel universe had made the room into their home in less than twenty-four hours. Their clothes were thrown everywhere across the floor, which added a certain level of chaos to the room; the kitchenette had been put to good use with dirty dishes and smeared coffee mugs splayed out across the countertop and piling up sky-high in the kitchen sink. The room was small, just had Petyr had foretold, and I could tell the reason he was so anxious to leave it.

_That still doesn’t give him the right to act like a dick._

There were two beds in the center of the room, one clearly occupied by the man and his partner who he was now waking up, and the other was neatly done up without any evidence of being used the last twenty-four hours. I could only conclude it was Petyr’s, so I wandered over to his side of the room to find anything of interest.

“I take it, he was with you last night?” the man asked, as he sat at the edge of his own bed.

“Yeah.”

“I was wondering why I had her all to myself,” he chuckled, as he gestured his thumb behind him. “I mean, I don’t mind sharing but…”

A light laugh came from the women behind him, which made the man forget what he was saying. She clamoured on top of him, smothering the sides of his cheeks with kisses, until they both fell back into the bed. “You love it,” she purred low into his ear, but it was still loud enough to make out the pleased whimpers she quickly made after as he went on top of her.

 _Now, I know where Petyr gets it from,_ I thought, as I hurried over to his side of the room. Ignoring the couple’s inappropriate noises, I bent down to look underneath Petyr’s bed to find anything he kept hidden from plain sight. It was empty, only a thin layer of dust sweeping across the clean white floor. I returned to my feet and looked at the bed stand where a small chest was kept, rugged and old with artificial pine design that made my fingers rub across it to double check. There was no lock thankfully, so I cracked it open and sat down on the edge of the bed to examine it. There was a brown leather wallet and a vintage watch of the same colour with a ribbed golden design around the center that replicated the waves of the sea. The items were uncommonly heavy, showing how truly valuable they were in this day and age. I set the watch back into the case and flipped open the wallet to find it had been converted to a photo album; fully coloured photographs were neatly tucked away in a clear plastic flap, showing how truly vintage his items were. I smiled at the first image of him in a boxing ring; the side of his face was bloody with it spilling to the tops of his shoulders as he faced his opponent that was undoubtedly some extra-terrestrial being. I was surprised to see the large crowd watching him, many of them holding up Irish flags in the crowd as he represented his country. Petyr’s body was more chiselled than he was now, and the youthfulness of his face told me the photograph was at least twenty years old. _No wonder he was able to beat up Jon so easily,_ I nearly laughed, and half-smiled at the way he quickly slugged my brother over his right eye. _He could have done much worse._

The couple in the bed were finally quiet, and I looked over my shoulder to see them cuddling fondly in bed under a heavy layer of blankets. Still, I felt the lingering stare of the man ever so often, as if my presence was more interesting than the woman who was trying to claim his attention in bed _. As long as he doesn’t want to do that with me I’m fine,_ I told myself, before I turned my attention back to the leather wallet in my hand.

There was a photograph with his father wrapping his arms over the back of Petyr’s shoulders for a hug, and the way he pointed his finger at his son’s chest told me he was truly proud at that moment. Petyr wore a sheepish grin as he looked at the camera, while his father stared fondly at him as the flash went off. It was a night time photo, a snapshot of them standing outside of a run-down restaurant based on the dinginess of the place behind them. Petyr was wearing a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and grey faded jeans that fit snuggly around his toned legs with scuffed up black and white converse that made him look from another century entirely. His father was dressed in a long black jacket, dark blue jeans and sturdy work boots that told me he belonged to the working class.

 _My Petyr never spoke of his father,_ I realized, _and wondered why that was the case._

The next picture made him look like a rebel with the same leather jacket he was wearing this morning as he blew black smoke into the camera lens, making him nearly invisible in the low lighting of the photograph. The checkered pattern of his red and black scarf was the only colour seen in the photograph, and even that was crumbled enough to add the grunge look to the photograph. _He’s a rebel without a cause,_ I thought, and found myself laughing at the photograph.

He was standing in the center of a parking lot in the next one. Petyr tilted his head downwards with half a smirk as he stuck his middle finger to the camera, his friend beside him was laughing as he leaned against the parked car that was currently hovering in the air. I noticed they both had guitar bags strapped to the back of their shoulders, and their grungy appearance made them look like they were apart of a rock band. _He is so different…_

A chirping sound was heard from the other side of the kitchen, an animal-like sound that made me drop the leather wallet on the bed before I rose to my feet. Turning around, I scanned the entire room from where I stood, noticing the way the man was watching me keenly with faint amusement from his bed. The sound started up again, so I took a careful step forward before I decided to make my way around the bed and head towards the noise. Something jumped into the air and landed atop the dirty kitchen counter-top, making me nearly jump out of my skin till I recognized the thing chirping in front of me. “Is that-”

“It’s not what you think it is,” the man shouted out from his bed.

The furry animal jumped up and down excitedly, and I found myself smiling at the tinted gold furred that blended in with the snowy white undertones. It was truly beautiful, and by all accounts it could be a small chimpanzee, but the strangeness of his hands that folded over like a chameleon made second guess the matter. Eyes as golden as Petyr’s wrist-watch stared back at me, while its tail thumped heavily on the table behind him. “Marlo finally woke up,” the men yelled out, and whistled a short tune to make the animal hop off the countertop and scamper towards him.

“It’s a monkey.”

“It has some ties to it, yes, but it is not the same thing.”

“Like a hybrid?”

“You can say that,” he answered me, as he scuffed up the animal’s crown that was combed over in a shade of auburn gold.

“Darwinism,” I mouthed, and watched the strange creature coo a happy melody from its open lips. The fur looked soft to the touch, but I could tell by the leanness of Marlo’s muscles that this was a strong animal. “Why wasn’t I notified you brought a foreign creature on this ship?”

“Because we thought you would examine it.” He paused as the monkey’s sound grew louder, and the man let out a reluctant smile. “Marlo get’s anxious if he doesn’t see us for too long.”

“He sounds very attached to you.”

“He is,” the man answered me. “Most dedicated.”

The girl sat up on the bed and leaned herself against the headboard. She was completely naked but didn’t seem to mind me staring at her in embarrassment. _Hers is bigger than mine,_ I realized, and felt a pang of jealousy knowing Petyr was in bed with her as well. She was beautiful too, full-bodied with enough curves to satisfy any man’s desires. Long brown locks fell to the sides of her shoulder, thick enough to tell she was from some foreign ethnicity. She eyed me with the same level of curiosity, probably taking in how thin I was in comparison to her before she blurted out, “You’re prettier than I expected.”

The man tilted his head into her neck as he remarked, “You thought she was ugly?”

“You know Petyr will sleep with just about anything.”

“Oh, you are too harsh on yourself, my love,” he tittered, as he grazed his lips just over the side of her neck.

“You are the same.”

“No, I have some preferences,” he drawled, making his Spanish accent vibrate at the back of his throat.

“That’s what they all say,” she countered, after she dug her nails into his thick brown locks at the back of his head.

“Would you like to join us?” the man asked me, as he glared at me from the corner of his eyes. “We done this kind of thing before?”

“With Petyr.”

“With Petyr and many others,” he answered me, once he finally removed his lips from his lover’s shoulders. “This is not strange where we are from.”

“More than one sounds far too confusing for me,” I confessed. “Petyr is _enough_ for me.”

The girl giggled into the palm of her hand, sheepishly lowering it when her partner forced her hand downward to kiss the back of it longingly. “He’s demanding, isn’t he?” she laughed. “Not you, my love.”

“Petyr?” the man questioned with lowered eyebrows as he gazed into her eyes.

“In bed, yes.”

“No, I’m better.”

“You are,” she purred, and wrapped her hands around the back of the man’s neck to lead him back into bed. Marlo chirped madly and jumped out of bed to scamper towards me. I was half frightened by the thing, alarmed by the brightness of his eyes as it stared up at me from the bottom of my feet.

“Hello,” I whispered, and knelt down to not alarm the furry creature. “Marlo, right?”

He pressed his two-sided paws on the tips of my toes, pressing a margin of its weight on me as his tailed swung widely behind him. The creature was unpredictable, but he seemed comfortable enough with me to remain silently by my feet. I raised my hand just in front of his face, letting my palms lay flat to see what he would do next. Marlo tilted his neck with curiosity, before he pressed his black nose against the tips of my finger. _Odd,_ I thought, but the rest of my thoughts were scattered when he jumped backwards from the sudden shrill escaping the woman in bed. _They’re so annoying._

Marlo seemed to agree, for he scuffled across the floor and ran towards Petyr’s bed. He jumped atop of Petyr’s bed, and rolled widely around it till his head smashed into the untouched pillow. I laughed as I ran towards him and found myself jumping into the bed for some reason. Marlo curled around my forearm, his clenched teeth barrowing into the top of my wrist teasingly while his slick wet lips tickled the fine hairs on my skin. “Marlo, stop,” I laughed aloud, and found my fingers restlessly motioning his fur upwards along his spine.

The creature made a low purring sound like a cat, a thing that took my breath away as he nuzzled his head against the side of my wrist. Left in this awkward position with my arm fully arrested by this creature, I leaned my body fully into the bed and watched Marlo form his body around my arm further. _He’s kind of cute,_ I admitted. _I can see why they wanted to keep him a secret._

The front door unlocked, which made me bite down on my bottom lip, realizing it could only be the one person I was hoping to avoid a little while longer. _Well, this is going to blow up in my face,_ I thought, and stayed perfectly still hoping against hope that Petyr wouldn’t see me. “Sansa?” echoed across the room, apart from the sensuous noises the couple were still making on the other side of the room. My back was to the door, and with Marlo sleeping on my left arm it was impossible to move. I heard Petyr’s feet shuffling across the floor, and only when the far end of the bed creaked next to my feet I knew he was sitting near me. “Sansa?”

“Petyr.”

“What are you doing here?”

I wasn’t entirely sure what answer I should give to him. _I was snooping, no- I wanted to learn more about you._ I let the awkward silence stretch on instead, and the exasperated breathing from the couple who were probably fucking each other didn’t help. _I want to get out of here,_ I thought, but when I tried to move my arm Marlo only tightened his grip around my arm.

“Marlo is like that,” Petyr noted, probably sensing my frustration at not being able to squirm out of his grip.

“I want him to let go of me,” I breathed out in frustration.

Petyr whistled the same tune as the man earlier, and immediately the creature shook himself from his sleep and crawled himself to the rightful owner. I watched Marlo slink its way to his lap and slowly climb over Petyr’s arm until it was seated atop of his right shoulder. _He looks like a pirate,_ I nearly laughed, _Petyr the pirate._

“You’re smiling,” he observed, and wore a smile as genial-like as mine.

“This is all so absurd.”

“Oh?”

“You look like a pirate.”

“Well, I am a smuggler, so I guess you can say that.”

“He’s cute.” I rubbed the side of my wrists tiredly as I watched the furry creature.

“He is.”

“Well…” I looked over my shoulder and noticed how entangled the couple had become under the sheets. “This is kind of uncomfortable, so I’m going to leave.”

“I’ll come too,” he quietly said, and raised himself to his feet to quickly join me. We walked side by side in silence; Marlo rubbing his strange padded paws into Petyr’s short locks with a certain familiarity. Petyr seemed oblivious to it, far too lost in his own thoughts as he held open the door for me and watched me pass over the threshold and into the hallway. “Sorry about that,” he hushed, and gestured behind the locked door to implicate his meaning.

“No, its fine. They weren’t like that till the end.”

“Okay.”

He watched me take a step forward, walking to an unknown destination, and without hesitation he quickly followed. “You bringing Marlo?”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah, its fine,” I nervously replied, unsure of his present demeanour that made him so quiet and tame-like. The photographs I looked at earlier showed a different side to him and opened my eyes to why he behaved a certain way- a way so different from my own Petyr.

“You were looking through my stuff,” he noted, as if he could sense my unuttered thoughts.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“What were you looking for?” he asked, simply ignoring my apology.

“I wanted to know more about you.”

He let Marlo nibble at his forefinger as he remarked, “You could have just _asked._ ”

“Its not as simple as that,” I argued back.

“I guess not,” he replied, as he let his finger slip out of Marlo’s barred teeth. He fell into a silence again, his eyes fell to the stripped carpet of dark orange, auburn red and grey that belonged to this part of Ares.

“Were you close with your dad?” I prompted up and ignored the way he looked at me after I uttered the question. “He looks just like you.”

“I think you mean the other way around.”

“Sure.”

“Yeah, we were close.”

“He’s still around?”

“No, he died.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” he hushed. He drove his hands to the sides where pockets should have been and found some level of irritation realizing it wasn’t apart of our science suits. _He should be wearing his leather jacket and jeans,_ I mused, now seeing this man for what he truly was. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know.”

“You look like you know where we’re going.”

“Maybe we should go back to our place.”

“Ours?”

“You know what I mean,” I laughed lightly, as I made sure I made no real eye contact with him.

“So, I’m forgiven?”

“Not exactly. You’re still a knobhead.”

“And that means…”

“Never mind.” I pointed down the hallway and added, “It’s a bit of a walk, but its still on the same level as this.”

“The living quarters.”

“Yeah, you got it.” Another silence fell between us, and I felt awkward standing beside this man that was so sullen and quiet for my liking.

“I’m not interested in Mariam,” he said out of the blue.

“It’s kind of hard to believe you, with that one.”

“I’m not.”

“Sure,” I sarcastically replied, after I gave him a lop-sided grin.

“Information is information.”

“Whatever that means,” I taunted, and found my hand reaching upward to stroke the soft fur of Marlo who was steadily falling asleep on Petyr’s shoulder.

“It means to have power over someone or something, you need to have information.”

“You want to have power over Mariam?”

“I _want_ to have some level of control.”

“You sound like Pete.”

“That because I _am_ him,” he drawled out with annoyance.

“Sometimes I forget it, believe it or not.”

“And you’re not the same?” he asked after a momentary pause.

“Oh, I’m not bent up about it like the two of you,” I admitted. “I’m happy being an explorer and traveling the universe to find out its secrets. I’m not much of a leader-”

“I disagree,” he interrupted in a loud, booming voice.

“You think I’m a good leader?”

“An excellent one,” he answered me with slow blinks in my direction.

“You flatter me,” I teased, and felt my cheeks flush a soft shade of pink at the thought of it. “All I want is to find Vasken and destroy it, with Jane in the mix.”

“And what will you gain from it?”

“Revenge, I guess. Also, I know the world will be a better place knowing that its gone.”

“Because they killed Petyr?”

“Because they want to obliterate mankind,” I answered him, as we passed a set of elevators that signaled we were almost near Petyr’s old rooms. “And I’m not going to stand by and watch them.”

“You really think you can defeat those machines?”

“I’ll try my best.”

“And you said you’re not a leader,” he mockingly replied, after he leaned against the wall to watch me unlock the door.

I shrugged my shoulders at him, trying to shrug off the nagging feeling of his eyes never leaving my face as I unlocked the door. He was quick to follow my footsteps as we went inside the door, and the pitch-blackness of the room made the hairs on the back of my neck raise fearfully as I felt his looming presence behind me. “Mockingbird,” he pronounced loudly, and the lights in the room awakened one by one across the expansive living room.

“You settled in quite well,” I joked. Petyr never replied to my snide remark, but instead used both of his hands to remove Marlo off his shoulders and place it gently in the nook of the long white coach for him to fall back to sleep.

“Its been twenty-four hours now,” he said with his back to the door. “How do you feel about it?”

“About what?”

“Us?”

“I don’t know,” I quietly replied, as I watched him sit down on the couch beside his furry pet. “We’ve had our ups and downs.”

Petyr stroked his upper lip where his moustache used to be and looked somewhat dissatisfied to find it wasn’t there anymore.

“I feel like…” I paused and fidgeted with my hands nervously. “You’re not ready for some kind of relationship yet.”

“No.”

“Have you…” I dropped my hands to the side before I positioned myself right in front of him, ignoring the way his legs were unconsciously wide open in front of me. “Been in a relationship before?”

“A serious one, then no.”

“Just sleeping around?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuckboy,” I tittered, which earned me a sinister grin from him.

“I’ve been called worse.”

“I can imagine,” I relayed, as I passed by his open legs to take a seat beside him. There was no pillow to divide us, not like it was when I first sat beside my old Petyr many months ago on the planet Plegethon. “But I imagine your friends are worse.”

“Oberyn has a penchant for it,” he slyly remarked for the corner of his lips.

“Did you and him ever…”

“No.” He looks slightly uncomfortable at me even mentioning it. “I only sleep with women, Sansa.”

“Okay,” I meekly replied, and looked off to the corner of the room in embarrassment.

“Oberyn does both.”

“Okay.”

“Ross will only sleep with men,” he added off-handily, as he stroked his hair downwards to find his long bangs were gone as well.

“So, you and her-”

“Yes,” he interrupted, already sensing where my thoughts were turning too.

“She’s good?”

“Very.”

“More than me.”

He rubbed his upper lip again, and then let it fall over his lips meditatively. “Yeah,” he confessed, while he averted his gaze from me. “You just need a little practice that’s all.”

“Oh, really?”

The corner of his lip curled into a devious smile, and I felt him shifting himself closer to me whether I wanted him to or not.

I shook my head at him and sneered, “Well, we all have our gifts.”

“Is that a compliment, Sansa Stark?” he drawled in a smooth voice, after his hand fell just behind the back of my head on the couch.

“I don’t think you deserve a compliment right now.” I crossed my arms unconsciously as I added, “I saw you flirting with that girl in the cafeteria.”

“Pam?”

“Whatever.”

“Whatever?”

“I don’t know her stupid name,” I scoffed, and tightened my arms across my chest further.

“Your jealous,” he exclaimed with a smirk I would have gladly tore off his face if I could.

“You think its funny?”

“No.”

“Sure,” I jeered. He leaned into my space further, spreading his arm across the back of the couch and letting it graze just over my right shoulder. I looked at his formidable hand and wanted to move away, but I found the moment I shifted to the right his hand fell on top of my frame. “Petyr let me go.”

“I wonder if this is all fun and games for you?”

“Go back to Pam or Mariam or whoever you want to sleep with next.”

“In that case, it will be Ross.”

“You- you are so…” I breathed a huff of air through clenched teeth, weary of this man’s unaccountable ways.

“I can sleep with you, if you want?” he suggested, and I felt his nails dig into the front of my shoulder blade after he uttered it.

“No thanks.”

“You like to play hard to get.”

“I know what’s best for me, and its not you.”

“But you wouldn’t say that to your Pete,” he countered with a knowledgeable air about him.

“No, I wouldn’t,” I answered him, as I found his strong hand was steering my body closer to his chest.

“I want to kiss you, Sansa, will you let me?” he asked, once my face was unfortunately close to his own.

“I won’t.”

He pursed his lips at me, clearly displeased by my answer. “You are still angry with me?”

“Very,” I droned, and narrowed my eyes at him to prove my resolve.

“I’m sorry.”

“So, you keep saying,” I shot back, which earned a hearty laugh from the man beside me. He scooted himself closer to me until our hips were nearly touching. I found his long arm was entirely around me now, his hand gently brushing the long hair that was past my shoulders. He threw his legs up on the ottoman, making me feel like we were some awkward teenage couple at our parent’s house. I knew he was waiting for me to give in, the slow almost methodical movements told me that. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

“What makes you say that?” he hushed with his lips hovering just over my left ear.

“Cause you’re buying your time.”

He played with the soft curls at the end of my hair instead of answering me, letting his eyes glaze over my side profile with wonder. “Is this really your natural hair colour?”

“It is.”

He let a stray curl slip through his finger and fall back down to my chest. I noticed the way his hand hovered in the air, unsure what part of my body he should touch next.

“Can you think about something other than sex?” I asked, already sensing his thoughts.

“Yes.”

“That’s rather hard to believe,” I jeered, and moved myself away again to find his hand quickly falling to the side of my arm to hold me back. “Petyr…”

“Right now, its hard to think of anything else though.”

I tapped my finger on the top of my thighs irritably, hoping I could hold myself back for a little while longer. He was hardly touching me, and I could feel my body already starting to respond to him, the wetness between my thighs wasn’t helping one bit. I turned my head in his direction to find he had been staring at me all along, a tiny smile formed across his lips once our eyes locked on to each other. “I see you’ve changed your mind,” he droned with good humour.

“No.” I forced my gaze to fall to his chest, hating the way my cheeks turned a bright red in contradiction. _If only he knew an hour ago I was determined to send him away,_ I mused. _He’s a bad seed, a weed…_

“And it changes again,” he uttered, noticing how long I kept my eyes fixated to the silver mockingbird pin planted over his chest.

 _I can’t let him in,_ I told myself, but found myself close to surrendering when he softly stroked his fingers down the length of my arm in a soothing manner. “We’re getting close to Dolus,” I told him in a formal tone of voice. “We should be getting ready.”

“That’s still hours away.”

“I know, but there is still so much work to do.”

“And everyone is working,” he reminded me. “But don’t you deserve some time off?”

“No,” I reluctantly answered. “I have to stay busy. I have to-”

“Many things I’m sure,” he butted in. “But right now, I want you to just focus on me.”

_No._

“Or is that too hard for you?” he asked, once he spotted the stony expression come across my face.

“Petyr, I think we should…” I bit down on my lip, once the lighting changed on his face as he leaned his head against the back of the couch. He looked so much like my Petyr with that peaceful expression, the way the lighting caught that silver tints to his forest green eyes. _Fuck._

“I’m not going to force you,” he mumbled. “Things are crazy enough without me fucking it up further with sleeping with you again.”

“It is,” I assented, after I let my body relax and fall back into the couch again.

“Do you want to go for a walk then?”

“No.”

“Go back to work, I guess,” he grumbled, while his hand fell to my chest absent-mindedly.

“I did, but I can’t focus right now.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes,” I admitted, and reached upward to lay my hand over his limp one that was currently resting over my chest.

“So, what do you want to do?” he asked, in a clear voice with his eyes looking ever so pleadingly at me.

_I want you to take me to bed._

I sucked in my cheeks and forced my head to look dead ahead at the blank wall in front of me. _I knew I shouldn’t have gone here alone._

“Talk,” I answered him, though it was lie. “You used to box?”

“Yeah, but that was a long time ago.”

“You were good?”

“I was good.” His mind seemed to be somewhere else, even though he was prompt enough to answer the question.

“Why did you stop?”

“Because I made enough money doing it.” He shrugged his shoulders lightly as he remarked, “And I was getting old.”

“Were you?” I asked with surprise.

“Yeah, I stopped when I was twenty-six I think. The same year my dad died.”

“I’m sorry… how did he die?”

“Old age,” he hushed. “And he got sick.”

“I’m sorry,” I repeated, and grasped his hand a little tighter to show how very sorry I was for him. “Were you close with your mom?”

“I never knew her. She… ummm… she left my dad when I was young.”

“Oh.”

“We- we were poor,” he stammered out with some discomfort. “Really poor.”

“Petyr, I’m-”

“You don’t have to apologize, Sansa, these things happen everyday,” he explained. “But I guess that’s why I don’t trust women.”

“Do you trust me?”

“I do actually, but I think its because… I know you care. At least for the other Pete.”

“You’re right.”

“He’s lucky.”

“Well, I’m lucky to have you… even though you’re a bit of a prick.”

“Ouch.” He chuckled a little, letting his body fall on top of me in the process. “You really are angry.”

I ignored him, and let my body fully rest against his own. The lids of my eyes closed the moment he cuddled himself around me, liking the warmth of his body heating the back of my spine and arms. He was quiet, but I could tell he was pleased by my simple submission. “I still think you’re a psychopath,” I mumbled into the silent room.

“Maybe I am,” he joked in good humour. “In that case, you better watch out.”

“Funny,” I said into his chest, once I turned my body into him. He let his hands stroke through the length of my hair, taking his time to tease out my curls on the bottom strands. _This is peaceful,_ I thought, and felt some level of guilt knowing I was enjoying it.

 _I like this side of Petyr,_ I acknowledged, not sensing any of that wild, unpredictable, almost manipulative behaviour I saw earlier on today. _Maybe something changed,_ I wondered, _or maybe he is just playing me for a fool._

“You’re tired?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Its been a long day,” I admitted.

“No thanks to me,” he confessed, much to my surprise. “I’ll try and make it up to you in future.”

I raised my head off his chest and peered into the depth of his eyes. “Who is this man speaking? Where’s parallel Pete?”

“Still here.”

“No, this one is much nicer,” I deliberated aloud. “I like this one much better.”

“Because he’s soft.”

“Yes, and squishy,” I countered, with a poke into his toned chest. Without a moment of hesitation Petyr planted his lips on mine, kissing me with time until we both fell into a certain rhythm that was entirely our own. I felt my hands bringing him in tighter, eager to keep his lips on mine. He took his time with me, making it so soft and tender it felt like an entirely different man leaning me down into the couch. I submitted instantly, letting him unzip the front of my uniform as he kissed every part of exposed skin that was exposed the more he zipped it down. I stroked my hands through his freshly cut hair, half-hazardedly sticking it up until he was wearing messy locks that made him look like a little boy. This look was finished with his boyish grin, once he saw that I was pleased and would let him have his way with me.

“One second,” he murmured, and took a step back to pay his attention to Marlo still snuggled up against the side of his couch. “He’s used to this kind of thing, but still…” Petyr gently caressed the creature and moved it to a couch nearby, making sure it was fully comfortable before he returned to me. “I’m glad you’re letting me do this.”

“Who said I’m letting you?” I shot back, the second his hands enraptured me. He fell to his knees on the couch, positioning himself in front of my open legs. He looked sweet like this, reminding me of the time I slept with Petyr inside of the crystal caves. _How long ago that was,_ I realized, before I felt firm hands lift my shoulders upwards until I was sitting up in front of him.

“Kiss me, Sansa,” he mumbled, like the lover I lost a long time ago. I gladly reached forward to cup his cheeks before I drew his lips in, telling him how much he meant to me. I wasn’t sure who I was kissing- the ghost of my lover or this wildly unpredictable man in front of me, but I didn’t hold back at all when his arms wrapped around me to pull me in for more. _Kiss me like you mean it,_ echoed in the back of my mind, as the vision of old Petyr flashed before my eyes for a second, and so I did.

He breathed into me as he held me tighter, caressing the top of my spine as I leaned into his chest. He was taller than me by a little because he was on his knees, so I tilted my head upward to kiss him with all that I had. Petyr stumbled forward after a while, and we plopped down into the soft couch with our lips anxiously returning to each other. With enough wiggle room, I pushed my hands in between our chests and grabbed a hold of his zipper to pull it down. Hot flesh was felt on my palm as I laid my hand against the center of his chest, feeling the ridges of his scar against the softness of my hand. Petyr pulled his knees up, straddling me successfully before he zipped down the rest of his uniform in front of me. “Sansa, I want to take this upstairs,” he uttered in an uncontrollable voice. “You in?”

I laughed at his casual proposal, caught off guard by the simplicity of his request. He stopped my laughter, however, by slamming his lips to the side of my face, climbing his lips upwards till he rested them on the side of my temple as he kneaded his fist into the thickness of my auburn mane. I held my breath suddenly, fiercely aroused when he grinded himself against me with unexpected vigour. A shudder escaped me as he put me on a high, and I had no choice but to put shaky hands in front of his chest to push him off.

“What?” he exclaimed with an unexpected darkness to his eyes.

“Upstairs,” I squeaked. “I can’t do this in front of Marlo.”

“He’s seen this thing before-”

“Upstairs!” I shot out and pushed him hard to get him off me. He fell back to the other end of the couch, probably losing his balance by the unexpected force I used against him.

“Alright, relax,” he argued back, and rolled off the couch till he could get to his feet. “Why does it have to be so far away?” he moaned, as he held his hand over his aching crotch.

I staggered to my feet, feeling the same uncomfortableness as himself. “It just is,” I jeered, and walked ahead of him with my legs tightly pressed together. “Jesus, why does there have to be stairs,” I remembered, as I walked up the top three steps that took me to the upper level of the living room.

“You call that stairs.”

“Whatever.”

“Is that your word of the day?”

“Christ, Petyr! Why do you have to be so fucking annoying!”

“I’m annoying,” he shot back. “Have you even looked in the mirror.”

“For someone who says I’m annoying, you seem to have no problem fucking me,” I argued over my shoulder as we walked through the glass hallway that revealed the blackness of space.

“I don’t know why I want to fuck you,” he mused aloud, as he continued to stagger behind me with his hand over himself. “I don’t even know why I want you.”

“Its not fair, is it?”

“No, its not,” he complained, which made me let out a reluctant laugh. “You’re not some witch or something?”

“Oh, yes, I bewitched you with my magical spells,” I jeered as I walked backwards with my hands in the air casting imaginary enchantments. “And I gave you a potion while you were sleeping so you can never resist me.”

“I’d say the same thing to you.”

“You are so full of it!”

“Yeah, I am.” He shot me a grin, that meant more than what he was implying. “I’m glad you realized it.”

“Careful, or I’ll send you back to that den of yours.”

“And then come looking for me,” he remarked with half a roll of his eyes. “I’d give it three hours.”

“Three!”

“You’re right!” he yelled back. He stopped in his tracks and released his hand away from his crotch as he added, “I’d give it one.”

“You don’t think I can live without you!”

“I know you can’t.”

“Just watch me,” I shouted out, but when I tried to walk past him he quickly grabbed a hold of me and slammed me into the glass wall. “Don’t,” I warned, but he brushed my hand aside and began to kiss me tauntingly, showing me what I would miss if I let him go for real. “I hate you,” I whimpered, once he parted his lips from mine.

“You love me.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You do.”

“I don’t!” I argued back and tried to push him away with all my might, but he kept me firmly pinned to the wall.

“Say it, Sansa.”

“I’d rather die.”

“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

“What’s harsh is staying with you.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because- because,” I stammered out, and found the rest of my words were escaping me.

“Because your scared,” he finished for me. He flickered his eyes away from my lips and back to my own cool blue. “I’m scared too, Sansa.”

“You’re not scared of anything.”

He leaned in and kissed me lightly on my lips. I savoured it with a sly lick over the top of my plump lip before I found myself pursing, as if I wanted more. “I’m scared of you,” he answered me, and lowered his eyes to my neck as if he lost the bravery he once held so firmly.

I rubbed my hand along the side of his face, noticing the small nicks and scars across his pale skin that he earned from his fighting days. There was a hint of a silver hair on the side of his temple, so small it would be nearly undistinguishable, except I knew that metallic glimmer all too well. “You don’t have to be afraid,” I told him in a leveled voice. “I would never hurt you.”

“Simply caring for me… hurts me,” he declared in an unsteady voice that nearly faltered at the end.

“You really are scared, aren’t you?” I asked of him and kissed the side of his temple lovingly. He held me close to him, letting his arms relax before they slipped behind me back and drew me nearer. Petyr was vulnerable, open to the point that it took us both off guard. “Let’s go to bed,” I whispered into his ear, and motioned for him to let me go. I took his free hand and pulled it to the side of my hip before I lead him through the last of the glass tunnelway.

We took off our clothes in silence, each watching the other with a leveled gaze. I stood on the other side of the bed, as I pulled the uniform off my ankles, leaning forward to get the tightened fabric off my body completely. Petyr was already standing in white boxers, unconsciously rubbing his hand down the silvery grey scar that pierced most of his skin. He looked sensitive, almost shy-like as he watched me with his penetrative stare. I climbed into bed without him, rolling over to his side before I reached out my hand for him to join me. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” he said in truth. “Its just weird with you.”

“In a bad way?”

“No,” he assured me in a calming voice. He placed his hand in mine and bent his left knee forward to rest it on the side of the bed. “I just feel like… something is drawing me in with you. I can’t explain it.”

“Petyr and I felt the same way.”

“Yes, but I’m not like _your_ Petyr,” he answered me as he crept into the bed to rest by my side. “At all.”

I snuggled myself against him, comforted by the warmth of his body and the familiar scent of his body wash that somehow lingered on his skin. “You can’t overthink it. This kind of thing will make your head hurt.”

“I’m not overthinking it.”

“You are,” I laughed, and rung my fingers through his luscious curls to prove it. “I mean, just look at your hair,” I taunted, as it stood up on its ends. “A complete mess.”

“No, you’re right,” he chuckled, as he laid his hand in the center of his head to stroke it up further. “It is.”

“Petyr?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m really starting to like you.”

“Okay?”

“I shouldn’t have said it, but I am.”

“Okay.”

“I didn’t say love, so you don’t have to freak out or anything.”

“I’m not.”

“Sure,” I teased, before I rolled him over and settled myself on top of him. “And that’s why you still have your boxers on.”

“I was hoping you would take it off for me.”

“Like Ross?”

He bit his lip guilty, and then arched his eyebrow in a cunning manner. “You really are jealous of that woman.”

“Hmmmm…”

“I guess I can never have you both in bed.”

“Petyr!” I shrilled and slapped him against his chest until he howled with laughter. “You can take off your own damn boxers.”

“Fine, I will,” he teasingly replied, and motioned me backwards so he could slip it off. “Are you going to give me a treat?” he asked, as he flung his boxers to the far side of the room.

“Like sucking your cock?”

“I wouldn’t argue if you did.”

I shook my head at him, hating that smirk that created long lines across the sides of his cheeks. “I don’t know what to do with you.”

“I can give you a few ideas.”

“Oh, I’m sure you have a list,” I argued back, while he pulled me closer to his chest, forcing me legs to uncross and fall into the bed with him.

“A very long one,” he earnestly replied, and curled his arms around me in an effortless manner before he rolled me around the bed until he landed on top of me. “But for now, we can keep it simple.”

“Sim-” was cut off, when he opened his mouth wide and enraptured the whole of my lips. I moaned into his mouth with pleasure, relishing the way our bodies moved up the bed until he found the perfect position. Petyr slipped into me with ease, letting our entire bodies flow to his own rhythm, constantly hushing the sounds from my lips with fervent kisses to silence me completely. “Oh,” I purred, as he payed attention to the side of my cheek, pressing his lips so hard against my cheek that it forced my head to fall to the other side of the bed. He was kissing me like he loved me, like it was the only thing keeping him alive. I was scared, almost timid once he finally raised his head to look into my eyes serenely. Petyr said nothing, only batting his eyelashes nervously before he looked down at the pillow beside me and decided to thrust himself inside me more. I held onto him quickly, feeling like I needed something to hold onto as he forced the walls to bare open and drive himself deep inside. The build up increased, like the frantic breaths escaping us both.

“Oh, Sansa,” he said through gritted teeth as we reached the climax, and then a long grunt into the side of my face as he couldn’t hold onto it anymore. “Sansa,” he almost whimpered, which made me lay my hands to the sides of his face and bring it in front of my own. His mouth was open as he tried to catch his breath, eyes almost strained as he looked down at me.

“I know,” I assured him, even though I wasn’t quite sure what that look meant. “I feel it too.”

A shadow of a smile came across his face, and then he dropped his head downwards and rested it on the side of my face. His chest heaved frantically against mine, and I felt we needed that moment of silence with only our bodies speaking for each other. I tilted my head to the side and kissed his soft locks, breathing him in for a moment more before I rested my head down on the pillow again.

 

 


	11. Blacked Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Sansa thought she was in control, she was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to @Clarissa_DN38416
> 
> Thank you for all your support and helping me improv my smut writing. I literally could not do it without you. Thanks for making me less vanilla. This one is for you!
> 
> "The Weeknd- Pretty" is my go to for this chapter. Love me The Weeknd ;)

I woke up feeling lethargic, eyes heavy from some much needed sleep. The air felt stuffy, spilling over with heat from the overhead vents. Petyr must have tampered with the controls, making this once cold place almost as hot as a furnace. I felt the droplets of sweat caressing the whole of my back, the dewiness of my bangs clinging to my forehead. A small sigh escaped me, as feelings of fatiguing and small aching’s down below still lingered from a few hours ago. I was about to turn my head to check the time when I felt firm hands caress my hips. “Petyr,” I breathed, feeling his hands smooth over the sides of my hips and lay it firmly over my ass. He was silent, but I felt the tenseness of his fingers as he rubbed his thumb into the curved ridges of my but cheeks. This was new, even for him, and I was itching to turn around to face him but he tsked me quietly with his tongue. “Rest,” he told me, in a deeply penetrating voice. I felt somewhat nervous as he massaged me there, smoothing out his fingers till he nearly covered the whole of it. The bed creaked slightly as he moved, probably getting into a more comfortable position, but what that exact position was, well, it is still a mystery.

Petyr’s efforts weren’t in vain, soon I found myself stretching out my arms like a cat and laid peacefully on the bed as he continued to massage me. He obviously knew what he was doing, so I decided to trust him. _Is that wise,_ asked a small voice in my head, but the small pleasure he gave me was enough for me to disregard it for the time being. Warm lips cascaded down the bottom of my spine, working its way upwards in slow movements that left me hanging in suspense until the next one. Petyr was so quiet though, only his body did the talking, his lips that pressed themselves firmly on the back of my neck. He used one of his hands to fist my hair and brush it off to the side of my shoulder. _He doesn’t want it to get_ _in_ _the_ _way_ , I realized, as the whole of my long auburn hair fell to the left side of my head. “Pete,” I murmured, as I felt his lips leave the back of my neck.

“Yes, Sansa.”

“Your in a mood.”

He never answered me, instead he let his lips wander over the side of my exposed cheek, taking his time as he rubbed his fingers into my ass a little more. I felt a low throbbing down below, realizing whatever he was doing was working. I swallowed hard, finding the humid air making my throat dry and the toilsome rhythmic fingerings over the whole of my ass made things worse. I murmured with surprise, hating myself for the way I was feeling- the desire he was stirring from naval to down below where I instinctively clamped my legs together. Petyr’s hand movements stopped, as if this sudden gesture easily caught his attention. I bit down on my lip in the silence, noticing the anxious seconds that ticked by as I felt his hands stray away from me. The bed creaked again, and I sensed Petyr was shifting himself further down the bed. I waited in suspense, knowing he was planning something for me. His hands grabbed the ends of my legs, pinning them both down to the bed, and then I felt his weight creep upwards from the back of my calves to my thighs and then….

“You’re delicious,” he hushed in a thin, raspy voice. A mere taste of what was to come, I felt his hot breath hovering over the plump curves of my ass. _Suspense_. I held my breath, hating the sound of my own anxious breathing betraying me. “And I just want a taste,” he stated, as the heat increased over me. Sharp nails dug into the sharp curves of my ankle, restraining me before I felt the whole of his bottom lip drag over the front of my ass. I shuddered, finding my legs wanting to go upwards but he held it firmly with his hands. Another pause, a fall of silence, and then I felt the heat from his mouth and tongue lay over the bottom of my ass and lick upward with only the tip of his tongue to guide him. I lost it then, afraid and uncertain, and yet exhilarated at the same time, like the approachment of a roller coaster uncertain of what was to come. I wriggled my shoulders, trying to get up the bed but Petyr warned me in a stern voice to stay still.

“What are you doing?” I anxiously asked, hating myself for feeling so turned on by the roughness of his voice.

“Just close your eyes, sweetling,” he ordered, and waited for me to lie flat on the bed before he continue to lap his tongue over my skin. I clawed my fingers into the bed sheet, feeling a mounting pressure down below. Petyr let go of my ankles and took a hold of my hips, setting himself on top of me as I he took his time kissing his way up my spin again. His right hand wrestled its way between the sheets and the front of my stomach, laying it flat against my stomach before he crept his way down below. I shivered again, his constant attention was exhausting, it kept me on my toes and only when he stretched forward to press his lips on my own did he use his fingers to rub against my clit. I inhaled sharply, but he kept his lips continued to crush mine. _Oh god._ I curled my legs upwards unintentionally, raising my hips off the bed until my knees were the only things keeping me from falling back into the bed. Petyr was quick to morph his body with my own, letting his fingers tickle and circle around the area with a slow vibration that made my breath come out stifled and heated. Petyr sensed my arousal, removing his lips and shooting me a smirk that nearly took my breath away. “This is just the beginning,” he warned with eyes shining black with desire. “Lean into my hand,” he instructed me, and prompted me with his other free hand to lay back down on the bed.

“Fuck,” I wheezed, as his carefully laid gestures slowly built up the pressure. I closed my eyes as the feeling over me grew, huffing out air as I felt the whole of his weight on top of me with enough room for his fingers to manoeuver around. He sensed I was close to peaking, and suddenly stopped with his hand slowly removing from the area. “What- what?”

“So, you do enjoy it?” he teased, as he took in the flushness of my cheek that was searing red.

“Pete,” I begged, hating myself for stumbling into this desire so easily. I clutched the pillow underneath my head regrettably, my nails digging into the soft fabric as the desire continued to shake through me.

“I have something else planned,” he explained with a low tremor in his voice. He roughly grabbed a hold of my wrists and pulled it downwards till it laid over the bottom of my spine.

“Like what?”

“Something you’ve never done in your life?”

“Is this- this a thing on your list?”

“The long one,” he taunted, as I felt some thin, wiry string tie around the small grooves of my wrists. It felt like yarn, the kind that the old Petyr kept somewhere in his office space near his modelled pirate-styled boat. _Did parallel Pete steal it? Did he have this planned all along? How long have I been asleep? Or he awake?_ I tried to tilt my head in his direction, and he shot me a smug that made the corner of his eyes crinkle deviously. “You don’t trust me?”

“No.”

He raised an eyebrow at me playfully, and then lowered his head to ensure the yarn was put around my wrists securely.

“What are you going to do?” I asked of him again. Petyr puckered his lips in the air, and it seemed he couldn’t have his fill for he laid atop of me again to kiss the corner of my lip. He waited for me to tilt my head in his full direction before he began to kiss me soundly, so slow it felt like the taunting that was soon to come. He accidently rubbed his erection across the side of my thigh, and I was glad I was not the only one affected. “Pete,” I moaned into his mouth, and used my toes to stroke his hairy legs that were still on top of me. He smelt like a man, tasted like one too, and when I felt his firm biceps roll me over to the side so he could kiss me full on I practically smiled against his lips. “Pete,” I said like I was intoxicated, opening my mouth freely so he could drive his tongue into my sphere. I wanted to touch him, but my arms were restrained, and I could tell how fun it could be with him if I simply let go.

“Sansa,” he answered back after a while as he used his to tilt my head upward and drove his tongue along the narrow ridges along my neck until he reached my jawline. Petyr kissed the area feverishly, his hands bored again, and soon traveling downwards until it curled around my ass, pressing his erection against my stomach for his own sinful pleasure. I shuddered relentlessly, driven by his own desire, and the sick feeling that this was far from over. “I want to do so many things to you,” he growled against my throat.

“Like what?” I squealed into the air, as my neck was fully up like an ungraceful swan.

I felt a ribbing sensation in my ass, as he jabbed half an inch of his finger into my anus. I opened my eyes immediately and he caught the fear. “It won’t hurt.”

“What won’t?”

“Oh, my Sansa,” he chuckled. “You really know nothing.”

“Know what?”

He kissed my lips in reply, stroking his single finger up and down at a slow pace until I got used to the sensation. His idea was unusual, but I suppose he had a plan, though it felt uncomfortable I found myself getting used to the idea like everything else Petyr was continually introducing me too.

“How I can make you feel,” he said after a while, and gave me a meaningful gaze before he rolled me over on my chest again.

“How will I feel?”

“Like your whole body is on some electric current,” he explained briefly, after he laid himself on top of me again. Petyr used both hands to hoist up my hips, and laid the flat of his hand over my stomach for support. “Trust me.”

“I can’t.”

“You will have to at some point,” he reasoned, before I felt an alarming prodding into my ass that made me scream out with a surprised shrill. “Just relax,” he asked of me, and smoothed his hand over the front of my stomach to calm me down in large circles. “Spread out your legs more,” he instructed. “Let your head get comfortable on the pillow.”

I shut my eyes and breathed into the pillow frantically, taken back by the slow grinding into my anus that never seemed to relent. “I know what I’m doing,” he reminded me, and laid his hand firmly over my pelvis and stomach for support.

“I know,” I found myself saying, and swallowed a sigh of relief once the immediate pain when away.

“Do you?”

“I do,” I confessed, finding my fingers curling inwardly until the nails were digging into the palm of my hands.

“Cause you know I will give you a good fucking,” he unexpectedly said, and followed it by bringing his hand off my pelvis and settling it over my clit.

“I do,” I wailed, as he put his fingers against me again. “Oh god, I do,” I breathed, finding his fingers itching for more and going deeper into the prized rea with skilled circular motions that left me wheezing uncontrollably. This wasn’t supposed to happen, a small voice said at the back of my head, as I fought back with my tied wrists, desperately wishing I was free of it. I wanted to touch him, but my lips had only the taste of the feathered white pillow and my hands could only feel the friction rubbing between themselves. He was on top of me, bringing his hardened cock into me more as I slowed expanded beneath him. The hurt and pain was gone, and all I felt was a spark of energy down below that made my entire body lay limp against the bed as he had his way with me. The feeling was beyond imagination, no expressions could be used to describe the high he was giving me with his finger as he went a little deeper. “Petyr, Petyr,” I cried at the top of my lungs, feeling like my heart would pump out of my chest by the way it was ramming inside of me. I couldn’t move, oh so very helpless, and he enjoyed it I knew as he pumped himself into my ass a little more. He removed his hand gradually, and let my hips settle down on the bed with ease.

“How do you feel Sansa?” he taunted, his voice filled with mockery and sweltering with pride.

I feared to answer him, but an elated cry found its way out of me as he grinded himself into me a little more. “Fucking hell,” he growled, while his nails pierced the sides of my waist as he plowed into me more. I found myself slipping out space, all sense of reality was dissipated into thin air as my orgasm reached my breaking point. “No, not yet,” he said with sudden desperation, and to my horror I found him slowly easing his way out.

“No,” I cried out, despite my own preservation.

“I don’t want you too.”

“Who the fuck are you to tell me when I can or cannot-”

Petyr came out of me fully, finding not a second to loose before he grabbed a whole of my wrists and began to untie the knot.

“That’s it!”

“Not unless you want it to be.”

I shuddered from the sensation that was still inside of me, angry that we were so close before he abruptly stopped it. “Shit, Petyr! What the hell?” I was so angry when I finally had an opportunity to roll around and face him.

“You have to trust me.”

“I want you to fuck me,” I found myself saying.

“Oh,” he said with glee, and got off the bed to remove his condom.

“Where the hell did you get that?”

“I had a few.”

“A few?”

“I knew it wouldn’t be long till the next one, and I wanted to try something different with you.”

“You whore!”

He laughed, as he walked bare naked to the trash can and tossed it out with an air of finality.

“You’re still hard,” I observed. “Good.”

“Good.” He shot me a smirk that I didn’t exactly like and felt somewhat timid as he strode his way towards me.

“I take it back.”

“Is that so?”

“Pete.” He stood in front of his bed, naked as the day he was born, but with a body practically sculpted by the gods. _Who was I to complain?_ “Jesus, Pete, what are you doing to me?”

The smirk he usually wore went wider, a tell-tale look crossed his face as he watched me inch my way towards the end of the bed. “You enjoyed it.”

“Hell, you’re like a professional.”

Petyr walked past me, and casually lifted his leg to walk across his bed. He settled down in the middle with his legs wide open and the palms of his hand flat against the bed as if he was waiting for something.

“What is it?” I asked, once I realized how hard he was looking at me. He lifted his hand and motioned his fingers playfully for me to come closer. “What?” I asked once I sat in front of him on my knees, hating the way his eyes leered all over my frame _. I’m sure he never looked at Ross that way_ , I reasoned, and found myself smiling while staring back at him.

“Sit on my lap,” he ordered in a dominant voice, and once I was close enough he grabbed a hold of my waist and moved me into a straddling position. “Do everything I say.”

“Okay?”

He lightly stroked the side of my left leg, his eyes entranced by something in the dim lighting of the room. His grey-green eyes flickered upwards, tantalizing and penetrating, before he used his other hand to grab a hold of the back of my head and pull me in for a deep kiss. I was lost, forgetful of everything as he applied more pressure, subtly biting my lower lip before he came in for more. He knew what he was doing however, for he spread his legs out wider and let myself fall into the bed between his legs. Both hands cupped my cheeks, kissing me with untold meaning, and I found my chest heaving with excitement as he grew hungrier by the moment. “Keep kissing me,” he murmured, as he drew his head away and tilted it off to the side to focus his attention on my leg.

“Where?”

“Anywhere but my lips,” he instructed, and waited till I kissed the curve of his collarbone before he laid his hand over the groove of my ankle. He chuckled as I made small whimperings into his neck, liking the way my hands anxiously rubbed across his chiseled chest with fervour.

“What are you doing to me Petyr Baelish?”

“I can say the same to you,” he murmured, as he hoisted up my left leg with a teasing look.  
  
“No, you do this all the time.”

“Not with you.”

“But now this all you want to do.”

“You’re not leaving here anytime soon, Sansa Stark,” he drawled, and laid my left calf over his shoulder blade to my surprise. “And now for your right one,” he said with ease, and grabbed a hold of it with one hand before he rested it on his other shoulder. “I hope your flexible.”

“What?”

“Lay your hands flat on the bed.”

“Where?”

“Behind you, its for support.”

“Why do you have me at this awkward angle?” I asked, noticing how eager he was to look over my hardened nipples before he glanced down below.

“Do you have imagination?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Then tell me why you think I’m doing this?”

“So, you can fuck me?”

“Is that all?” He laid a hand on the bed for support as well, but the other he used to kneed my breast as he hovered his lips over my own.

“To make things exciting?”

“Very.”

I smiled at him, startled by the similar expression we wore before I Ieaned into him fully and kissed him with eagerness I was unaware of. Petyr in turn leaned himself into me, using his other hand to hold the small of my back before he prodded his unprotected cock into me. He dropped his hand away from my chest and laid it behind him for support the minute I began to rock against his rigid frame, eager for that sensation he had been so adamant to take away from me.  
  
“We just got to find that rhythm,” he told me, before he kissed me open mouthed. His hands feverishly worked its way down my back, smoothing my wild hair down and away from my face so he could see me more clearly. There was something startling in his eyes, behind the lust he continually wore around me I noticed something else. It had to wait, he was sliding into me more, and I was dependant on my ceaseless rocking to give him more leverage inside of me. Petyr teased me by letting his hand smooth over my leg that was hocked over his shoulder, liking the fact that he was fucking me in such a strange position. “You like straddling me,” he jeered, and leaned his head back to catch the redness in my cheeks. “Me taking control.”

“We are in this together.”

“Not unless I get the yarn.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Not tonight,” he dared. I bit my lip at him, and he leaned forward to fix this remedy. Biting his lip into my own and pulling it back for his own pleasure before he crushed his lips against mine. Everything was becoming a blur, the sound of our sexes rubbing against each other, the fondling of his hand that somehow find its way below, the noises escaping my lips as the world became blacker and blacker. “Sansa,” echoed at the back of my head as he kept teasing the most sensitive areas down below, murmuring sinful things as he left his support hand to its own demise and squeezed my nipples to make me wheeze. I was falling, and before I knew it the world became darker and I blacked out.


	12. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa wakes up to find the world entirely new, and her lover the strangest of them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank @Clarissa_DN38416 again for your help. I don't know what I would do without you :)

When I woke up, I felt the warmth of a plush white robe and the strong arms of Petyr cradling me in between his legs. My vision was hazy, but I caught a waft of his familiar scent; a strange mixture that sent a low thudding at the back of my head. I shifted my shoulder into the denseness of Petyr’s chest, and he immediately tightened his hold around me. “You’re awake,” he uttered in a low voice, like grain shredding it way across a metal surface. I nodded my head slightly, too weak to move another muscle for the time being. “I was getting worried,” he confessed under his breath, before he smoothed his large hand over the front of my forearm. “Its been hours.”

I lifted my head upwards, a subtle gesture that Petyr caught with his lips as he pressed it firmly to my crown. I laid there peacefully in his arms, finding my thoughts slowly recollecting themselves as I continued to stare out the open hallway. The room was lighter, a series of bright lights were turned on while I was out cold. A medical bag was at the end of my bed, a tray with a pitcher of water and a long narrow-like cup that was filled almost to the brim. There was a bowl full of snacks too, I could tell, but it was too far out for me to distinguish it clearly.

My deep reverie was broken. “How are you feeling?” echoed loud in the room, and I felt the brush of Petyr’s fingers examining the end of my wrists were a thin, wiry mark was indented into my skin.

“I have a headache,” I relayed. “And- and pain… everywhere.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be that way.” He kissed the top of my head again and held it for so long I started to get worried. “I am sorry, Sansa.”

A thin waft of air escaped my air in disbelief. _Did he just apologize?_ I felt a hammering in my chest at the thought of it, continually surprised by this man that was holding me so close to his chest.

“You will need to rest,” he ordered in a firm tone of voice. “And hydration- some food.” I felt him reclining me forward and slipping around me until he could crawl across the bed to reach out for the tray. All I could see was his ass in front of my face as he stretched out for the pitcher of water, and I suppose it was a good thing he was wearing boxers. “Drink this first,” he said over his shoulder, and lifted the full cup of water into the air for show before he crawled his way back to me. Petyr purposefully rubbed his hand against mine as he handed me the water, staring deep into my eyes for something I could hardly tell, and once satisfied he motioned me to drink it.

The water was icy cold on my lips, and I felt the rush of it as it filled my mouth and forced it to go down. I closed my eyes in pain, feeling faint and light-headed when the bright lights cascaded down me. I blinked a few times and handed the glass back to Petyr; he refused it openly and demanded that I drink more of it.

“Why did you let me do it?” he asked, the second my mouth was filled with an immense amount of water.

I swallowed it while avoiding his anxious gaze, too lost in my own world to answer him clearly.

“I know you never did it with the other Petyr.”

“No.”

“Then why would you do it with me?”

I handed him back the cup, knowing he would be annoyed that only half of the water was gone. He took it silently, eyeing it carefully before he directed his gaze upwards and rested it over me.

“It was the spur of the moment,” I muttered, after I let my eyes fall over the cup in his hand.

“You could have told me to stop.”

“I didn’t want you too.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” I leaned against the back of the bed frame, thankful that Petyr was quick to plump the pillow behind me, so I could get into a more comfortable position.

“But you enjoyed it?”

“Oddly enough, yes. But- but what happened?”

“Too much stimulation,” he gravely said. “I thought you could take it, but it was your first time.”

“Not having sex,” I argued back.

“To have that much arousal at once,” he relayed with a sly smile. He leaned his shoulder against me, letting his back curl into the bed frame as well.

“It was amazing,” I breathed, and turned my head to his side profile. “I’ve never been that high.”

“Its like a drug,” he relayed with a certain alightness to his eyes and overall expression.

“You made me… me-” He took my breath away by leaning over and kissing my lips lightly. “Pete,” I wheezed in a careless breath and quickly leaned forward to kiss him back.

“Drink,” he instructed, after he leaned his face away. “I can’t let something happen to you.” He handed me the cup of water and eagerly observed the clear glass caressing my bottom lip. There was something in his look again, a soft tenderness that made every gesture- every look speak volumes.

He took my empty glass and rolled over to the side of the bed, so he could walk over to the leveled tray near the foot of the bed. He snatched some things from a bowl and then leaped on the bed to come towards me. “Eat it,” he drawled, and went down on his knees in front of me to hand a series of wrapped chocolate bars.

“I don’t really like chocolate.”

“Eat it anyways.”

I unwrapped the first bar that he placed into my hand and stuck it into my open mouth regrettably. There was nuts in there, so I took my time chewing it as I avoided his searching gaze. _I must look terrible,_ I mused. _I feel terrible._

“Do you regret it?”

I tossed the wrapper to the side of the bed and reached forward for another one. “No,” I told him, as I laid the tips of my fingers into the large palm of his hand.

“You’re not just saying that.”

“No.”

“I wonder if it was a mistake.”

“Because I passed out.” He nodded his head at me in confirmation, looking over my visage to make sure I was taking the whole thing well. “Up into that moment it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.” Petyr raised his eyebrows at me, filled with so much surprise that he had to sit cross-legged in front of me. “The way you used me- our bodies. It was like…. I don’t know.” There was a shadow of his smile across his face, a crinkling around his eyes to show he was pleased. “And you did it so expertly,” I added. “But with a certain level of care and maturity. Respect. The act was done mutually.”

“I would never force you into anything.”

“I know, and that’s why I trusted you.”

“You told me you didn’t.”

“I didn’t,” I laughed, and distracted myself by reaching for the last chocolate bar in his hand. “But I think deep down inside I did.”

“Because I have the face of Petyr.”

“Because I know the Petyr sitting in front of me now,” I told him honestly. “And I like him.”

He looked somewhat rattled by that statement and rolled over the side of the bed to retrieve something from the tray. “You need more water,” he said with his back towards me. “And then I will give you something else to eat.”

“Pete.” He looked over his shoulder, the one where his tattoo grazed the sides of his shoulder and biceps. “Thank you for taking care of me.” Petyr chose not to respond; he busied himself with the contents across the tray and eventually came back with another glass of water and a larger wrapper with some food inside of it. “I had to send Ross up here to give me this,” he exclaimed, after he dropped a large food bar into my lap. “If that doesn’t wake you up, I don’t know what will. Part of our personal collection from our universe.”

“Head rush,” I read aloud, and spun around the purple and pink label to examine the strange markings.

“Used in situations like these,” he explained. “You are not the first to black out on me, but I wish it wasn’t you.”

“So, you’ve done this before.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, and sat down on the bed beside me with his body weight leaning into my shoulder and sides. “Its not common, but its not uncommon either.”

“You know so many things,” I said with wonder. “I feel so ignorant.”

“You’re not,” he honestly replied. “I lived a troubling life, and through the ups and downs I learned a thing or two.”

I smiled at him, and he leaned into me a little more to kiss the side of my cheek. I turned to him with an even wider smile and he immediately took that position to kiss me on the lips, so hungry and filled with wanton desire that it caught me off guard. “Wooh,” I breathed, and patted his chest for him to slow down. “Pete, what’s going on?”

“I’m…” he licked the bottom of his lips nervously and tucked his head down into his chest as his mind ticked on in its usual fashion.

“Something is wrong?”

“No, its not…”

“Pete?”

He lifted the glass of water and placed in front of us. “I think you should drink the water.”

I gave him a look of seriousness, which only made him press the glass practically into the center of my chest. _He doesn’t want to talk about it._

“They called for you a couple of times. We will be flying into Dolus’ atmosphere by the early morning. They wanted to have another counsel meeting, but I told them you were not feeling well. They may think things, but I didn’t want them to find out the truth.”

“Will have to make up a story.”

“Or tell them that you really were ill, but then you will have to be examined.”

“Doctor Wong will keep our little secret,” I chuckled, while I waved the indented marks on my wrist in front of him.

“If you say so.”

I took another sip from my water and peacefully laid my head over the curve of his shoulder. Petyr noticed this small gesture and wrapped his long arm around me, keeping me close and safe in his own way. _I love him._ The mere thought made me open my eyes wider and turn to him, but luckily, he was off staring into space somewhere.

Feeling timid all of a sudden, I took a longer sip of the water.

Petyr unexpectedly broke out of his deep thought and tilted his head downwards to kiss the side of my temple. “I forgot to wash your hair,” he murmured into my ear.

“Were you supposed too?”

“I gave you a bath.” He tilted his head slightly to kiss the side of my forehead. “I should have done your hair too.”

“Giving me a bath is more than enough.” There was an open show of hesitation and I took that small window to enrapture his lips, letting my hand snake around the back of his neck so I could kiss him more easily. I forgot the water in my hand and it spilled all over us, making us break out into laughter as the cold water spilled down the front of our chests. “I got you wet. Oops.”

“You did it on purpose,” he laughed, while he brushed his hands against mine to reach for my empty glass.

“Maybe.”

“Hmph,” he grunted, and carefully moved himself off the bed to put the empty glass back on the table. “I’m going to take a shower, care to join me?”

“That is a very bad idea.”

“It is,” he agreed with a cunning grin. “Will you be alright?”

“I think so.”

“Maybe I will just towel myself off,” he mused aloud. “I want to keep an eye on you still.”

“Just an eye.”

“Sansa, you can’t be serious?” he spoke aloud with disbelief. He had trouble going to the washroom, seemingly conflicted if he wanted to keep such a large distance from me.

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, and waved him away so he could take care of the real issue at hand. When he was gone, I untied the soaking wet bath robe and was somewhat startled to see there was nothing underneath it. _I should get dressed,_ I deliberated, and tried to get out of the bed despite my body telling me to rest a little while longer.

I put on my bra first and was searching for my panties when Petyr walked into the room. He wore a certain look, before he forced his eyes elsewhere. “Why are you up?”

“I wanted to get dressed.”

“You need to rest.”

“I can’t sit in that wet bath robe any longer.”

“You can take the spare one,” he reasoned, and swiveled around in his feet to head back into the bathroom. I searched the room for my bottoms, but I couldn’t see it anywhere in plain sight. “Sansa,” he chided the moment he entered the room. “I don’t want you up.”

“I’m fine.”

“You were unconscious for three hours,” he reminded me. “You are _not_ fine.”

“Are you showing concern for me?” I taunted. I stood still as he wrapped the bath robe around me, smelling clean and fresh like it came straight from the laundry. Petyr patted it down over my shoulders from behind, smoothing it over my arms before he came around the front to tie it up for me. “Are you?”

“I’m a _what?_ ” he drawled out with annoyance.

“Caring for me.”

His eyes darted upwards, before he let it fall to the center of my waist where he tied up the knot with some level of difficulty. His hands trembled slightly, and I could tell by the hardened jawline that he was annoyed with himself.

“Pete.”

“What?”

I raised my arms upwards and let it slink over the back of his neck, a simple thing that caught him off guard. I leaned into his chest and graced the whole of his face with kisses, letting it wander everywhere as I feverishly lifted the back of his hair along his nape in a messy fashion. He stood perfectly still, hands at his side as he enjoyed it, probably too startled to join in. “Pete, touch me,” I pleaded, and kissed him on his nose. “Do anything.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.”

He looked down at me from the bridge of his nose; grey-green eyes devoid of all desire but contained something entirely new. I rubbed the sides of his temples, wishing there was some silver there, before I leaned forward and kissed his lips. He morphed his with my own, letting it curl and fall into mine with mounting pressure. I raised one leg and stroked it against his thigh, feeling a familiar high that I couldn’t hold back any longer. He raised his hand to cup my leg, holding it there, and then grazing his nails into my skin to follow the tight tendons of my leg and calf muscles that were begging to be touched by him. _This is hot._

“Jesus, Sansa, I can’t take it,” he spat out, after he leaned his aching crotch into me. He was on fire, but so was I. “Stop,” he bellowed, and slowly dropped my leg so I could be on solid ground again. “I need to take a shower,” he quickly spat out, and broke my arms away from him. “I need to do it _now._ ”

The bathroom door slammed behind him, and the rushing water was heard almost immediately. I could have sworn I heard him groan, his moans echoing off the wall. _Poor Pete,_ I thought, knowing he must have wished his aching crotch was somewhere else. Thankful that he held off his desire for once, I retied my bath towel and wandered around the room in search of my panties and uniform that I was wearing a some hours before.

* * *

Our bodies were perfectly morphed into one another as we cuddled in bed. The lights were off, and only the faint emergency light in the far end of the room kept this room from complete darkness. Petyr was sound asleep, tiny whistling from his nose could be heard when his face was right in front of mine. His bathrobe was warm and snug, while my scientific uniform was smooth and soft to the touch. His arm was wrapped around my waist, face inches from mine as he laid there sound asleep. I was happy. A small smile escaped me as I caught a faint blue light hovering over the back of his head, knowing it was coming from the planet below. We were at the very reaches of Dolus, and the vivid blue and purple lights were now reflecting its way into our ship. _Another planet for me to explore,_ I excitedly thought, and felt my grip around Petyr’s bulky forearm tighten. _But this time I can do it with him._

_I feel safe when I’m with him,_ I realized, and wondered when this thought came into being. It wasn’t long ago that I decided to send him away, but I found my willpower fading. _I don’t think I can do that anymore._

_I can’t…_

“Why not?” asked a small voice at the back of my head, almost trembling with fear.

_Because I want to be with him._

 

 

 

 

 


	13. A Different Direction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are changing for Petyr and Sansa, and they begin to realize that things are quickly falling out of their hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my Christmas gift to @Quoyan_11 and @Clarissa-DN38416
> 
> Here is some fluff over the Christmas Holidays! I hope you enjoy it, and wishing you both a very happy new year!
> 
> Love,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

Petyr was swaying back and forth while pouring milk into a beaker full of freshly cracked eggs. He bobbed his head to the music as he swayed his way over to the piping hot frying pan and let his hand hover over it to make sure it was hot enough to cook our breakfast.

I stood next to him as he reached next to my elbow to pick up a fork on the countertop. “Cause you’re a cool cat, coming on strong with all the chit chat,” he sang along to the music with the fork in my face. He saw my smirk and added, “Ooh you're alright, hanging out and stealing all the limelight.”

“Petyr,” I laughed, and wrapped my hand around his wrist to force his arm downwards. He was strong, but he let me half his way with half a smile.

“Ooh messing with the beat of my heart, yeah!” he sang, before he turned himself away from me with imaginary strumming of a guitar. He was obviously in a good mood, perhaps, better than I had ever seen him before. From the moment he woke up he had energy, always feeling the need to be near me like a newborn puppy getting attached to his owner. I didn’t know what to make of it, and when he suggested to make breakfast for us the old-fashioned way, I nearly fell off the bed. “Sansa, hand me the salt and pepper,” he asked of me in his normal voice, which made me slip out of my reverie. “There is nothing to add to the eggs.”

“Well, we don’t cook,” I explained. “That’s what the cafeteria is for.”

“What if I want to spend more time with you alone,” he slyly replied, after he turned down the music. “And I thought you might not like to see Pam.”

“Funny.”

“I’m hilarious,” he joked, as he stirred the eggs around to make it scrambled. “I forget tea or coffee?”

“I can have either. What will you have?”

“Coffee.” He looked over his shoulder as he added, “But not black.”

“No,” I laughed, as I leaned my face into his back while wrapping my arms around his front mid-section. “That’s the other Pete.”

“I could have it black, if you want me too.”

“No, I want you to be yourself.”

“Okay.”

He stirred the eggs around awkwardly, and I noticed how stiff his arms movement was as I leaned against him. “Do you need any help?”

“You could toast the bread,” he suggested. “You must be hungry?”

“I am,” I relayed with some level of surprise. “Yesterday was long.”

“Not all of it,” he said with a not so innocent smug.

“Not all of it,” I repeated, as I cut my eyes at him. “I’m still sore because of it.”

“It will get better,” he answered me, as he grated some cheese over the frying pan. “And I know not to take it so far next time.”

“Oh, so there will be a next time?”

“I never thought there wasn’t,” he admitted, after he stopped his motion of grating cheese for a moment. “Why?”

“I’m only teasing you, Pete,” I told him affectionately, and leaned forward to peck him on the cheek briskly. “I’m going to check on Marlo.”

“I am surprised, he hasn’t climbed up the stairs yet.”

“The dreaded three steps,” I gibed, and left him with a knowing wink before I turned down the hallway. The air was colder here, so I pulled up the furry white collar and tied the housecoat around my waist a little more. I found it cute that we wore matching ones this morning, and how naturally everything was falling into place since the moment we climbed out of bed together. Petyr was weary- cautious about me ever since I blacked out, and I found it oddly comforting that he continued to show a ceaseless level of concern.

“I can’t let anything happen to you,” he kept on saying, and a part of me wondered what Petyr would do if something really did happen to me. _I think he is even more protective than my Pete,_ I realized, and wasn’t necessarily sure if that was a good thing.

Marlo was quick to greet me, wrapping his strange padded-like paws around my ankles the minute I approached the couch. The poor creature was rather hesitant, but happy to have some form of company. “Marlo,” I cooed, after I crouched down to stroke his soft fur. He made a curious noise, clearly pleased by my show of affection. “Did you get a good night’s rest, little buddy?”

The creature bobbed up and down excitedly, and to my surprise he rested his paws on the front of my knees. He poked his head in front of mine, mouth open wide as he made an inarticulate sound like small chirping from a bird. “You’re cute,” I told him, and stretched out my hand in front of his mouth to see what he would do. Marlo pressed his black lips against the side of my hand and lifted his hand to place it on top of mine. “You’re so small too,” I noted, taking in the difference of our hand size. “Should we see Petyr?”

The creature cooed in reply, and I rose to my feet with the small creature cradled in my arm. It wasn’t long before I walked into the kitchen with Petyr’s back towards me, and I could have laughed as he continued to dance to the vintage album of Queen. “Pete!” I yelled out, and he suddenly froze as if he was caught red-handed. “You can keep dancing.”

“No,” he quickly shot out in embarrassment, after he turned around to face me. “Breakfast is ready,” he said in an unsteady voice, and pointed behind his back where the table was set up for us to eat. “You brought Marlo,” he laughed, and reached forward for the gold-tinted monkey to jump into his arms. “Hey, little guy,” he whispered, and rubbed the top of his crown affectionately as he went towards the dining table. “You hungry?” he asked, and suddenly steered to the right to look for something in the fridge. “San, can you pour out the coffee?” he asked in a deep voice, and I was shocked to hear the sudden nickname coming from him. “Please,” he added, once he caught the whiteness to my face.

“San?”

“Yeah.”

“San?” I repeated in an even louder voice. He smirked at me, as I went over to the coffee machine with two mugs in my hand. I pressed the button to let the coffee pour out, while I watched him hunching over the open fridge with his beloved monkey resting over his shoulder.

“San,” he exclaimed, and then tilted his head in my direction. “You call me Pete.”

“I used to call-”

“- the other one,” he interjected. “I know.”

“Does it bother you?”

“My dad used to call me that,” he said without looking at me. “Its fine,” he hushed, while he offered the last of the apple slices to Marlo.

“What about your friends?”

“No.”

“Just your dad.”

“He’s the only one _allowed_ to call me that,” he stated with an air of finality. “And now, you.” The fridge door closed with a loud thud, and he looked at me for a moment before he darted my eyes at the two cups that were now overfilling with coffee. “Sansa!” he yelled, and the alarm in his voice made me look down to see the dark brown pool spreading across the countertop. “It’s fine,” he assured me, after he brushed me aside with his shoulder to quickly shut the machine off and reach over for a towel. “Its too hot to clean up, just yet.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hand me another towel,” he gruffly replied, and stretched out his hand for me to place it inside. “I can’t soak it up right now, but at least it will stop it from spreading.” He looked at the clean white towel with some reluctance before he tossed it over the pool of coffee and watched it slowly lose the whiteness it once retained. “We should… just eat,” he sighed, and turned away from me to take a seat at the table. Marlo was settled in a seat next to him, with two bananas’ already waiting for him on the plain wooden seat. “Sansa?” he asked, after he realized I wasn’t exactly quick to join him.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Your tired.”

“No, I’m not,” I replied in an unsteady voice. I leaned against my own seat, with my nails barring into the wood as I added, “Why do you allow me to call you that? When no one else is allowed?”

“I just do.”

“That isn’t an answer.”

“Your food is getting cold.”

“Pete… I mean…”

“Take a seat, Sansa,” he woodenly replied, and gave me a hardened stare till I took my seat. I noticed how rigid his jawline was as he looked away from me, the sudden sucking to his cheeks before he let it settle back in place. “I don’t know why… I mind you calling me that.”

“Alright.”

“Can we just eat?”

“Yes,” I hushed, and lifted my fork and knife to show I meant it. “Thank you.”

“Yeah,” he dryly replied, and raised his stained brown mug in front of his face to take a long sip of his coffee.

“This is nice,” I offered, in the hopes of easing some of the tension. “You cook often?”

“No.”

“Well, its good.”

“Its eggs, Sansa,” he said with dry sarcasm.

“Still… you can cook it. No one cooks anymore. That’s what machines are for.” He retained the same cold look as before, so I thought it best to keep my mouth shut for the time being. _Everything was fine until I started to ask unnecessary questions._

“Can you cook?”

“A little,” I confessed. “It was more of my mother’s area.”

“You never wanted to learn?”

“Not really,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. Petyr spread his strawberry jam over his bread meditatively, and I wondered what thoughts were consuming his mind so much.

“I don’t know much about you,” he voiced aloud. “But that’s my fault, really.”

“How?”

“I was more interested in sex.”

“That’s because its you,” I giggled, and covered my mouth once he gave me a look of warning.

“Is your childhood as sad as mine?” he asked in a low voice, before he took a large bite into his bread.

“No, it was happy. I was lucky to have such loving parents, more than most. I have a lot of siblings too… you met Jon.”

“Ah,” he said painfully, and looked down at his open hand in remembrance. “I met him.”

“Great first impression,” I taunted. “The other Petyr wasn’t any better.”

“That’s good for me,” he said with a full mouth, and continued to munch on his food happily.

“We should do this again,” I remarked in a high-pitch voice, since I was filled with unexpected nerves. “Have breakfast together.”

“Sure.”

“I never really had it with…” I stopped myself, once I realized where my thoughts were turning too. “I’m- I’m just happy that’s all.”

“I see,” he grumbled, and tore at his bread with a darkened expression.

“You know I don’t do it on purpose… comparing you with him.” This parallel Pete said nothing, and only bit into the rest of his food with a look of bitterness. “It’s hard, you know. I only wish you could experience- understand where I’m coming from.” I leaned across the table with my hands in my lap as I inquired, “You’ve never been in love, have you?”

“Never.”

“So, you don’t know what its like.”

“No.”

“It’s- it’s…” I licked my lips questionably, and found my eyes searching the ceiling for some answer. “You’ll know when you feel it,” I told him in truth, and noticed how he stopped chewing his food suddenly. “Pete, are you okay?”

He nodded his head slowly, though he forced his eyes to focus at the empty space in the table between us. Petyr started to chew the rest of his food soberly, with a deliberation intention to ignore my penetrating stare.

“The other Pete…” I paused, knowing what I was about to say may offend him. “… he was in love.”

“With you.”

“No, before me.” I huffed out a gust of air before admitting, “He was love with Jane.”

“That robot you were telling me about.”

“He fell in love with his own creation, and she was more than just a robot. Petyr used to say ‘She is the closest thing to being human’ or whatever that means. She looked just like me… the same auburn coloured hair… the eyes…” Parallel Petyr forgot his food entirely and leaned his elbows on the table as he stared at me with disbelief. “They say I’m the striking image of her. If that isn’t fate, then I don’t know what is.” I placed my fork on the side of the plate and leaned comfortably back against my chair. “Do you believe in fate?”

“Do you?”

“I do now.”

“Because I’m here.”

“Yes,” I admitted aloud, even when his gaze flattered. “Why else was he and I given a second chance?”

“He?”

“Before me there was Jane, and before you there was my Pete. Funny, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think so,” he quietly replied, as he stared into his half empty cup.

“And now it looks like you and I will have to defeat Jane. So, who knows, maybe you’ll like her?” I said with unquestionable sarcasm, and found my arms crossing against my chest the more I thought about it. “And tell me what was so alluring about her, which made Petyr have the gall to make Jane his wife.”

“I couldn’t tell you.”

“No, how could you?” I complained and rolled my eyes once I turned my gaze away from him. “Not even my Petyr could.”

“Then… this is purely for revenge. Wanting to destroy Vasken?”

“I have too.” I uncrossed my arms and leaned them across the table as I continued: “Petyr always talked about man versus machine. The threat it poses to mankind, and I thought he was mad for it. But he was right all along, they really are coming for us. Vasken isn’t about exploration anymore, it has a hidden agenda, one that seeks to obliterate all of mankind and create colonies not meant for us- but for them.”

“The machines?”

“Machines,” I stated with furrowed brows. “It sounds crazy, but its true.”

Petyr picked up his fork and moved his eggs across the plate as he silently considered the matter. “Where do I come in?”

“You could help me. Afterall, you have his face.”

“Petyr’s.”

“Yes.” I smiled to myself, realizing the advantage I had over Jane for once. “This may play to our strengths,” I admitted. “But it also means that your life is in danger.”

“She wants me dead?”

“Worse,” I droned. “She would want you alive and captured. If she figures out you’re from a parallel universe then-”

“- she would want to come into that one as well,” he finished for me. “That could be a problem.”

“You should go back,” I relented. “Before its too late.”

“No, I’ll stay.”

“Its not safe. I was stupid for thinking… no you should go, Pete, before its too late. I was going to send you away anyways.”

“What?”

“You’re a threat to our ship,” I explained quickly. “I thought… _we_ thought it best to…”

“Get rid of me,” he stated with a knowing air. “And my crew, I imagine.”

“Pete.”

“I get it,” he sharply replied. “You don’t want us around.”

“Its not that…”

“No, of course not.” He rose himself from his seat and threw his napkin down on the table. “Your just like everyone else.”

“Pete, that’s not true,” I hurriedly answered. “I won’t send you away. I promise! Look, I _need_ you.” He shook his head at me in anger, and before I knew it, he was charging out the room to head upstairs. “Pete!” I called out, and quickly left the dining table to run after him.

He was in the bedroom tearing off his housecoat, and to my dismay he slid open the cupboard to pull out his black dress shirt and leather jacket. “I’m going to find Mariam,” he told me, once he heard my footsteps crossing the room. “And see if she has any sort of idea to send me back. You said she is the leading science specialist?”

“She is,” I grudgingly replied.

“Then she might be my best shot.”

“Petyr, it doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Then come with me.”

“I have to stay here,” I moaned, with my right hand covering a portion of my face. “I made a promise.”

“To defeat Vasken,” he uttered. “And I want to help you, but this isn’t my home. I have to go back.”

“What is there for you back home?”

“A business, an underground network that will suffer if I am permanently gone. Oh, I’ve already been replaced by now, but there is no way in hell they will be able to defeat that son of a bitch dictator without me! I got to go, San.” He took my arm and pulled me into his form, before he kissed me with a wild passion that left a strange sort of flutter at the bottom of my stomach. “Gods, I wish you could come with me,” he stated, as he looked deeply into my eyes. “Do you think there is another one of you out there?”

“Maybe.”

He kissed me again, with his hands firmly wrapped around the tops of my shoulders; I shuddered from his touch, fearful of the way he was kissing me like it was our last time. “You’re not seriously leaving, are you?”

“Our lives look like it has to go a different direction.”

“No, you came into my life for a reason!” I clutched his bare arms and plummeted the top of my head into the center of his chest. “Pete, you can’t just come into my life and then leave it.”

“I can’t help you.”

“You can… I know you can.”

“I don’t even know if I can return home yet.” He laid a hand over the side of my cheek affectionately. “So, for now your stuck with me.”

“Good.”

“But I have to go back home at some point.”

“No, your staying.”

“You know what will happen if I stay,” he hushed. “My entire universe could be in danger, if Jane is really as threatening as you make her out to be.”

“I can’t lose you,” I whimpered, and dug my nails into his skin in desperation. “Not after what happened to my Pete… the way he died in my arms. Please, don’t-”

“I’m not him,” he hushed. “You have to stop pretending I’m him.”

“I loved him,” I breathed, and felt myself faltering in his arms until I fell completely into his chest. His strong arms steadied me as I began to cry, as a storm of emotions filled with grief and loss came over me. “I still do!”

“I know,” he told me, and flexed his arms tighter to hold me up. “Sit on the bed, Sansa, your tired.” He dragged me towards the bed and instructed me to lean back until I was in the center of it. A low cooing came from the doorway, and Marlo scampered across the floor before he jumped into the bed beside me. “He will make you feel better,” Petyr assured me, before he left the end of the bed to retrieve something. He came back later with his black dress shirt half on and a rolled up red tie in the palm of his hand. “How are you feeling?”

I looked down at Marlo, while he curled himself just under my arm and left rib. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“You love him,” he simply said. “And you don’t want to see me go, because of it.”

“You can’t go.”

“Sansa, we are going in circles.”

“I don’t care.”

He laughed under his breath before he took a seat at the edge of the bed. “Its been a ride, hasn’t it?” he asked of me, as he buttoned up his shirt. “Everything we’ve been through.”

“You make it sound like a final goodbye,” I moaned, as I watched Marlo uncurl his body and jump off the bed to wander around the room curiously.

“It will happen at some point.”

“It doesn’t have too.”

“You really do want me to stay,” he teased, with a devilish grin. “I think that would make the other Pete jealous.”

I turned my head away from him and laid it flat on the bed. I shut my eyes for a moment, focusing on the sound of my breathing to calm myself down.

“Its about time someone is jealous other than me,” he muttered, which made me open my eyes to look at him. He stretched out his hand to take mine in his own, and then raised it in front of our faces before he interlaced our fingers together. “I’m… starting to care for you.” He offered me a sad smile, before he let his eyes falter and fall to the small gap between our two forms. “I’m guessing you know that already.”

“Last night,” I related with some uneasiness. “I got the sense that something changed.”

“So, you know that I don’t want to leave you,” he droned. “But I must… at some point, I must.”

I leaned forward completely with my hand over his chest and forced him to fall into the bed with me. _I don’t want to let him go._ I kissed every part of skin I could find, hating the fact that it was meshed with my tears that were quickly falling down my face. _I cry for the other Petyr and now for him,_ I soberly thought, and couldn’t believe that cruel irony that I may lose parallel Pete as well. Last night I realized I liked this new Pete, but now entangled in his arms as I went on top of him in bed, I felt my feelings have grown stronger than ever before; I may very well love this man, and this realization was the scariest truth of all.

The doorbell rang down below but we ignored it, we were too lost in the moment to care for anything else. Petyr lifted his head off the bed to give me heartfelt kisses, and I drowned it as each second passed by, until I settled my body on top of him completely and allowed him to take control. He rolled me around in the bed, until he went on top and tore open my house coat until my breasts were exposed to him. His lips were quick to swoop down, sucking my perk nipples with a hunger that made my cheeks flush a bright red. “Sansa,” he breathed, as he tore off the last of the housecoat until I laid there completely naked for him. “I don’t want to go.”

“I don’t want you to go either!”

“But,” he wheezed, as he raised himself over me in a straddling position, even though he was fully clothed. “I have too.”

“No.”

“Sansa.”

“Stay... for me.”

“I can’t,” he wailed, once I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck to raise myself off the bed. “Gods, I can’t do this.”

“Petyr, I lo…” I bit down on my lips and forced my gaze away from him. “Shit! I can’t believe…”

He used his hand to smooth down my cheek until I was forced to look in his direction. Petyr’s expression was soft, and yet, all so knowing that it made me feel some relief that he felt the same way.

“Come with me,” he begged. “When this is all over. Will you promise me that?”

“I can’t make a promise I can’t keep.”

He kissed me suddenly, so hard that it forced us to fall into the bed again. I clawed my hands down his back until it almost shredded the material of his dress shirt. _I can’t let him go,_ I fretted, _but I can’t go with him either._

“To the stars and back,” I breathed into his cheek.

“What?”

“Think of me when you see the stars,” I told him. “And I will do the same, promise me that.”

“I promise.”

“Gods, this is cruel!” I wailed, and suddenly laid their limp in the bed without a care in the world.

“Sansa?” he said with concern, once he realized I wasn’t responding back to his kisses. “Look at me,” he ordered, as he tilted my chin with his hand. “Don’t close your eyes! Look!”

“What’s the use? Just go.”

“Sansa, please don’t be this way.”

“I already felt so much loss, and I don’t want to experience it again.”

He kissed me on my brow, and simply laid on the bed beside me in a cradling position. “I’m afraid too,” he whispered into my ear, while he stroked my long hair away from my face. “Its you, Sansa, who’s made me that way. I don’t think you understand…” he paused to kiss the side of my temple and then curl of my ear. “What you’ve done to me.”

“What have I done?” I whispered in a child-like voice.

“I think we both know.”

“All the more reason to stay.”

“If only it was that easy.”

“My Petyr… the old one,” I stammered out. “He could never say it either.”

“Say what?” I dragged my finger across his plump lips, and then pecked it softly with my own. “That?”

“He said ‘I love you to the stars and back.’”

“Why did he say that?”

“It was the last thing he saw as we flew out of Plegethon’s atmosphere. He was surrounded by all his friends, but his last words were meant for me. He loved me, you see, but he could never say it. Not until the end.”

Petyr looked down at our joined hands but said nothing.

“It must have been hard,” he relented. “For him, and for you.”

“Yes.”

“I mean… I don’t know you that long, but I noticed I developed some feelings for you.”

“Have you?” I teased.

“You know what I’m like,” he digressed. “Sex with no attachments.”

“Sounds a lot like you.”

“And then something happened last night.”

“Yeah.”

“And its different,” he relayed with some obvious discomfort. “And the thought of leaving this universe- being away from you isn’t so easy anymore.”

“Fate brought us together for some reason,” I reminded him. “It wouldn’t tear us apart, unless it was for some reason as well.”

The doorbell rang again, and this time Petyr and I let out a groan at the same time. “I want to tell them to piss off,” he joked, before he pressed his face into the center of my breasts. I was comfortable with him there, so I laid my hand over the back of his head and stroked the back of his scalp soothingly until his hair frayed out like the dark wings of ravens.

The bell rung a third time, and this time Petyr groaned like a wild animal before he climbed out of our bed. “Marlo!” he called out and bent down on the ground for his pet to climb on top of his arm and make his way to the top of his owner’s shoulder. “Get dressed,” he barked out over his shoulder, as he left the room. “We may have company.”

* * *

Ross looked almost coy as she watched me eat my cold breakfast, taking note of how wild and untamed my hair looked as I leaned over the table tiredly. I’m normally happy to have guests, but not at a time like this. I looked over to my right again, and found Petyr was not coming up the stairs anytime soon.

“Petyr told me you had to get dressed,” she cooed in an almost seductive voice. “Were you guys at it again?”

“No.”

“I was going to say he is working you like a horse.”

“That sounds close enough.” I looked straight ahead and took in the sight of the darkly drenched towels still sitting on top of the countertop. _What must she think,_ I wondered, until I remembered the place she shared with Oberyn wasn’t exactly clean.

“He told me you did it three times last night.”

“He is very open with you,” I spat out with ill humour. “I only hope he wasn’t explicit.”

“He told me everything.”

I grimaced at her, and then looked away for my own well being. _I’m going to kill him._

“He was asking me for advice.”

“Petyr?”

“He wants to please you, but not take it to far.”

“Oh.”

“But you and I are different,” she explained, as he brushed back her thick brown locks. “Not only in our bodies, but in our tastes.”

“You think?”

“We are apple and oranges,” she laughed. “No, you are too sweet! Poor Petyr, but he tells me you are not so reluctant to try new things.”

“I’m…”

“If we were back home, I would take you to a place where they teach you things. The kind of desires every man wants.”

“I don’t need anyone teaching me anything,” I said with respite. “Petyr and I are quite happy the way we are.”

“Because he is the one teaching you these things,” she noted. “And you are in good hands, believe me.” Ross reached over to steal the last of my bread and had no sense of wrong doing when she stuffed most of it in her mouth. “And he cooks for you,” she exclaimed with wonder. “He never did that for me.”

_Good._

“He is a completely different man. I was telling Oberyn that, this morning, and he didn’t believe me. He will see it for himself downstairs, that Spaniard always has to figure it out the hard way.” She swallowed the last of my food and searched my breakfast plate with her hungry eyes to find there was nothing left to steal. “If he still thinks he has a shot with sleeping with you, then he has another thing coming,” she laughed. “Petyr would cut off his balls the second he mentioned it.”

“I thought they were friends.”

“Then you obviously don’t know Petyr, or his possessive nature.”

“He’s not possessive.”

“You’ll see.” She leaned her body weight over the arm of the chair and looked at me thoughtfully. “If Petyr should fall in love, I would have never imagined it would be with you. Why, your so different? So sweet and innocent, it is like trying to merge together night and day. It doesn’t work.”

“But we do.”

“To my surprise, yes.” Ross fluffed out her thick mane again, and I was starting to wonder if she did it to make sure her hair looked more polished than my own. “But you should be careful with him.”

“Why?”

“He’s dangerous, when he is ready. You can never really know what his true intentions are.”

“I feel like everyone’s been telling me that.”

“Because they see you as naïve, and its best to know what your up against. Are you taking him to Dolus?”

“You know about it.”

“I can see the planet from outside my window,” she answered boredly. “Are you taking Petyr?”

“Yeah.”

“And others?”

“Of course.”

“Do you trust them?’

“They serve me, so yes.”

“And do you trust Petyr?”

“Without a doubt.”

“You shouldn’t,” she quickly replied, with a turn of the head to make sure the man in question wasn’t nearby. “I wouldn’t.”

“But you’re not me.”

“No… I’m not,” she replied with a menacing grin. “But I’ve known _Littlefinger_ for a long time, and I think you should know he has a plan. No matter what the circumstances are, he will always find a way to pull the odds into his favour. It’s the only way he lasted this long, and when we get back to our universe, he will be a force to reckon with.”

“You almost sound like your afraid of him.”

“Maybe I am.”

Multiple footsteps echoed down the hallway, and I knew Oberyn and Petyr were coming. “I’m not,” I assured her, and ignored Ross’ look of scepticism before I got up to greet parallel Pete. “Marlo is still on you?” I asked with surprise and kissed the furry creature before I leaned forward to endow a chaste kiss on this handsome man in front of me.

“Your surprised,” he laughed, after our lips parted. “I want him to get to know you as well,” he related, and separated the creature from his shoulder to place it on my own. “It will take time, but he will become just as loyal to you.”

“Thank you, Petyr,” I hushed with embarrassment. He was looking at me funnily again, far too long for my sense of sanity, and just when I was about to take a small step back, he wrapped his arms around me for another kiss. “You can’t get enough?”

“No.”

“You weren’t even gone for an hour.”

“Too long,” he chastised, while he kissed the side of my face hurriedly. I could feel the others presence behind me, but Petyr didn’t seem to care; the soft cooing from Marlo didn’t even distract the man that was aching to have his hands all over me. “What were the two of you talking about?” he whispered into my ear.

“About you.”

“Good or bad.”

“She wants to offer me advice.”

“Oh, Ross,” he chuckled low, and inched his face away to catch the annoyed expression that flashed across my face. “Oberyn did the same thing.”

“So, we both suffered.”

The corner of his eyes crinkled as he wore a genuine smile; the wandering hands of his finally settled to the bottom of my hips, and once satisfied he pulled me deeper into his frame. “That seems to be the case.”

Someone cleared their throat behind us, and once I turned my head to the other couple’s direction, did Oberyn address me, “We were wondering if we could speak to you, Sansa.”

“About what?” I asked, though I sensed a tension suddenly fall heavily over the room.

“Dolus. We want to join you on the expedition.”

“My security sector won’t allow it.”

“But Petyr says you’re the boss.”

“He would have also told you that my power is limited.”

“But enough to pull a few strings.”

“Pete,” I murmured, as I turned my head to look at him. “Is this your doing?”

“They want to come.”

“You know I’m already in enough trouble as it is!”

“For doing what exactly?” he asked, as he rocked me from side to side.

“Getting to close to you,” I mumbled with a guilty expression.

“Sansa,” he breathed out right in front of my face. “How could you not?”

I kissed him in reply on the tip of his nose and let out a small giggle as I stroked my fingers along the dark temples that would one day turn a shade of silver. _He has a point,_ I deliberated, as he continued to rock us back and forth playfully. _I was falling for this man hard, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t detach my feelings from him._

“You’ll see what you can do, won’t you?”

“I will try.”

“Thank you, Sansa, I knew I could trust you.” He kissed me fully on the lips, which made us stand perfectly still as we both got lost in each other. This was too much even for me, I felt like my heart was hammering out of my chest. He was like a poison in my veins, a drug that I could never get enough of, and even when he was steering me out of the room to somewhere more private, I didn’t even have the decency to fight back. “Sansa,” he hushed, as he worked my zipper downward; I was fully pressed against the glass wall in the adjoining hallway, and not even the piercing blue light from the mysterious planet could not even distract Petyr from his whims. “I can’t…” he halted, once I slammed my lips against his with my leg teasingly stroking the side of his thigh. Petyr hooked up my leg with one hand and then suddenly grabbed the other until I was off the floor entirely, with only my back against the glass wall to hoist me up. “… ever get enough of you,” he moaned into the corner of my lips, before he pressured his mouth against my own. The throbbing down below ached, and I feared what would become of us if we should make love to one another again.

“Oh, Pete,” I shrilled, after he arched my neck upward with his hand and dragged his deft fingers along it. His lips soon followed, marking me deep with sharp indents of his teeth like a vampire delirious of blood.

“San,” he answered me immediately, and pressed his hardened crotch against my womanhood. He ground himself vigorously against me, making me wail with pleasure as he forced himself upon me even when we were fully clothed.

“Do you have any idea how bad I want to fuck you?” he growled into my ear. “To go so deep you could barely stand.”

I groaned in answer, fingers flying everywhere across his shoulders and neck as he forced himself upon me.

“And then when I’m done, I’d do it again- and again- until my cock goes limp,” he droned. “But that’s just the thing…” he paused, to inch his head back so I couldn’t kiss him. “I don’t think it ever will.”

“It has to at some point, Pete.”

“Not with you,” he answered me. “Never for you.” I opened my mouth with surprise, and he took that moment to drive his tongue inside my sphere, combating with my tongue in a frantic way as if he feared to lose. I let him have his victory, pleased to even have him explore the whole of my mouth before he grew bored and took to kissing my jawline instead. “Your so beautiful,” he sighed, after he stroked my thick auburn hair away from my face. “I swear you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” I looked down shyly, and he pecked my brow fervently. “I will never let any harm come to you.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I swear it,” he promised me, and tilted my head to the side to kiss me at a different angle. I slid down the wall slowly and found him pressing my entire body against the glass possessively. “Don’t let me go,” he demanded, after I stopped kissing him to catch my breath. “San?”

“Yeah?”

He smiled at me slightly, and then leaned forward to kiss my lips sweetly. I knew what he was trying to say, and if actions could speak louder than words, I knew it all along. _He loves me,_ I thought, and found my lips forming into a smile as he kissed me back. _He loves me._

 


	14. The Lucky Number

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr and Sansa might think they have everything under control, but fate has other plans for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a playlist on spotify for each of the chapters, for my own pleasure. The chapter's dedication goes to "Lover is a Day" by Cuco.
> 
> Link for the Spotify playlist is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/40Hv0qckp10sMS2oTBSTHT?si=ZU_hFPUWTS2K7xn3lEnH9A

There was strange elevator music coming over our heads as Petyr and I sat in the doctor’s waiting room. The slow pulses from the digital synthesizers was the music of the time, but it often had the ability to make me sleepy. I laid my head on the side of Petyr’ shoulder and shut my eyes peacefully, while he gently stroked the ends of my dark coppery coloured hair down the side of my arm.

Time seemed to be ticking by slowly as we waited, but the quiet content of my partner- my lover made me feel like we were in our own little safe haven.

A sound of a door swished open, and when I opened my eyes I spotted Andrews in the entrance-way. “She’s ready for you,” he announced quickly, and held open the door to show me he was ready.

“You’ll be here, won’t you?” I hushed into Petyr’ shoulder.

“Yeah.”

“It shouldn’t take too long.”

“Take all the time you need,” he persisted, and leaned in to kiss me full on the lips for extra assurance. I felt empty when I left his arms, as if a part of me was suddenly missing when I departed the room to walk down the long hallway with Andrews. He was saying something to me, but I had trouble concentrating, continually looking over my shoulder to catch another glimpse of Petyr.

I found myself in an empty white room, reminiscent of the rooms that I once spent time on in Plegethon. The white empty bed brought back memories I wish to suppress: a heavy fog hovering all around me, a white mask hovering just over me in the darkness, as the thin blue emergency lights casting an eerie light on the unknown visitor. _The first time I met Petyr,_ I remembered with a wobbly smile, and tried to recall the first words I ever heard him say. “Are they all from Vasken?” a deep resonant voice echoed in the back of my mind, with the same level of authority my Petyr once held on the planet, Plegethon. _What where his first thoughts when he saw me,_ I wondered, _or_ _when he figured out I worked for Vasken?_ “Good,” I heard his voice answer me, “When you are done with the operation… bring her to me.”

 _Is that when Clotho spun the “thread” of human fate? Lachesis dispensed it with her aging hands, and then handed it to the last goddess, Atropos, to cut the thread to determine the exact moment of our death? And did the gods take pity on me so much, that they allowed me to try again?_ _I am a historian,_ I thought, _I am used to this kind of deep philosophical thinking of the path's that shape a person’s life, but it becomes so much harder when I tried to decipher my own path._ I was so deep in mind, so far into the cloudy abyss of the present moment and the potential future that I did not hear Doctor Wong's footsteps behind me.

“Sansa,” a soft voice uttered into the lifeless room. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I assured the concerned looking Doctor, who I have seen far too often over the past two days. “I just wanted to tell you about what happened last night.”

Doctor Wong held the silver tablet closer to her chest with a look of concern. “What happened? We noticed you weren’t answering your phone.”

“I was busy.” I looked behind me and took a seat at the edge of the hospital bed, looking strangely uncomfortable under the middle-aged woman stare. “Maybe this will help,” I answered her, and rolled down my sleeves to show the purple marks around my wrist. “And this,” I added, as I zipped down my uniform to show the marks Petyr had left on my neck and upper chest. I bit my bottom lip guilty, knowing the woman was slowly putting two and two together.

“What happened?” she asked with the uttermost severity in her voice. “I mean, why are you here?”

“I passed out.”

“You went unconscious?”

“Yes.”

“How?” she asked with a rounded mouth, that looked almost funny on her. “What- why?”

“Its difficult to explain.” I batted my eyes at her nervously. “We had sex,” I deliberated aloud, and swallowed hard when I considered the details that made me black out.

“Everyone has sex, darling, it doesn’t mean they go unconscious. Did he force himself on you?”

“No.”

“Did he?” she paused, with a slight wince to the side of her face. “Restrain you.”

“A little.”

“Just the wrists?”

“That is all.” I curled my fingers inward into a ball nervously, as I forced my gaze to look down on the floor. “Petyr said ‘He overstimulated me.’”

“Was it just once?”

I laughed aloud, so hard it made the poor woman look uneasy. “Once!” I exclaimed, and shifted myself further into the bed as the thought overtook me. “You obviously don’t know this Pete.”

“Sansa, what did he do to make you unconscious, or at least visit a doctor?”

“I want to make sure I am okay,” I quickly told her. “I know we are hovering over Dolus, and I want to make sure I am at one hundred percent before I do anything.”

“You have a council meeting to run,” she reminded me. “It’s been put off because of your absence… an absence that everyone will want to know about.”

“Another reason why I’m here, could you cover for me?”

“What?”

“Lie,” I rapped out. “Tell them I ate something, or some kind of illness that only lasts a few hours.”

“I cannot lie.”

“People do it all the time!”

“Sansa, you can't ask a person in my profession to be untruthful, even for you.”

“Okay, I will think of something,” I fretted with both of my hands over my hand. “Sometimes I feel like things our spinning out of control, you know? As if everything is falling out of my hands.”

“That man has to much of an influence on you,” she criticized. “Its not like you to ask me to lie, or to put off such an important meeting.”

“I know.”

“People are talking, Sansa,” she complained with a short shake of the head. “They worry about you with _him._ ”

“They are just paranoid.”

“They are concerned, and so am I.”

“Will you just tell me if I’m fine!” I shouted out with a sudden darkness to my eyes.

“Hold still,” she quipped, and threw the tablet down on the bed beside me. “I will have to examine you.” She pulled out her dutiful glasses, the kind that scanned my whole person with a dark navy-blue light shining from the lens. Doctor Wong tapped the side of her glasses from time to time, making small “ums” and “ahs” with a slight puckering of her lip as she continued to look at me. She asked me the standard questions a person would be asked if they went unconscious, and I answered them without a moments hesitation.

“You said you had sex,” she piped up, after she tore off her glasses.

“Yeah, so?”

“Was it protected?”

“No.” I rubbed my hands nervously, as I tried not to touch the intended area in the back of my mind. “Maybe once,” I muttered from the corner of my lips, as I felt my cheeks turn a bright shade of red.

“You do realize he is not your Petyr,” she sighed, as she stuck her glasses back in the case. “His genetic molecular construction is slightly mutated. When I examined him I noticed that even his DNA and RNA are slightly off, and there are no explanations as to why this is the case. He looks exactly like our Petyr, but then again he is a lot muscular, isn’t he?”

“He used to be a boxer,” I explained. “Parallel Pete.”

“You noticed his eating habits are slightly off as well,” she observed. “And then there is his behaviour: possessiveness, his shrewd ability to manipulate people, and may I even say his many attempts to intimidate and isolate some of the crew members.”

“Oh, you seemed to have changed your tune.”

“Richards held a private meeting last night. Only a few were present, but we exchanged our thoughts on this new Petyr and seem him as a potential danger.”

“Since when?”

“Since I looked at the results from my medical and psychological examination.” She picked up her silver tablet and held it protectively, as if all of the important information was held inside of that document. “You had sex with him multiple times, and I am worried that you might be pregnant.”

“No, its not possible. I would have been pregnant a long time ago, but nothing ever came of it with the last Petyr.”

“But this one is different,” she droned with a serious expression. “All I need is a simple test.”

“No.”

“And why not?”

“Because its impossible.”

“It is not impossible, Sansa, in fact it may very well be possible that you are carrying his child right now. The odds are against you, if you slept with him more than once.”

 _How many times did I actually do it,_ I wondered, and felt the pallor to my cheeks turn deathly white.

“Sansa?”

“Five.”

“ _Five_ times?”

“Yeah,” I sheepishly replied with a small wipe against the tip of my nose. “When _unprotected_.”

“Sansa,” she droned out with growing concern. “I understand people deal with grief in different ways, but-”

“- its not like that anymore,” I interjected. “I do it, because I like him.”

“Him, or the man who died on this ship a few months ago?’

“Both,” I confessed. “I like them both.”

Doctor Wong took a seat beside me on the bed, and crossed her legs in a lady-like manner. She laid a hand on the side of my shoulder, and rubbed it profusely to show that she truly cared. “You should take the test, Sansa, a small sample of your blood and we will know for sure.” She dropped her hand away from me as she added, “And I need to know if he is carrying something from his other dimension, like a disease, for example. We aren’t entirely sure if-”

“- he can effect us,” I pointed out. “It’s a possibility, if it is something that won't be detected until a long period of time."

“Take off the front of your shirt, and I’ll get a needle,” Doctor Wong instructed, and patted my back in a motherly fashion before she left the room. It felt cold as I stripped off the top half of my clothes, noticing the marks Petyr had given me on our first night and then the deep indentations on the side of my throat from only this morning. _He is like a beast,_ I thought, and wondered if I should feel ashamed by that.

Doctor Wong whispered reassuring words when she jabbed the needle into my skin, but I noticed the look of doubtfulness as she left the room again with a filled syringe. I didn’t know what to make of my situation, a girl pregnant by a man she hardly knew. I knew the other Pete, though, even if it was just for a few days.

 _But I know this one too,_ I deliberated, but he was like a series of shadows and reflections in a foggy room. His true identity is still a mystery to me, and yet, I feel like I am seeing small glimpses of him since I discovered his watch and small photograph album on top of his bed-stand yesterday afternoon.

A brief glimpse of him in a raggedy Led Zeppelin t-shirt outside of a bar with his dad’s arm around him came to the forefront of my mind. _Maybe I really do know him,_ I considered, _except this time it is taking longer to figure him out._

“Will you tell Petyr?” Doctor Wong asked me, with her hands behind her back. She walked into the room with a gloomy expression, those light grey eyes foretold my fate all too well. “That he's the father.”

“No.”

“Will you ever tell him?”

“No, and you can’t either.”

“For once, I am not legally bound to tell him,” she reassured me. “But he will figure it out soon enough. That man is smart, maybe even smarter than our own.”

“He’ll be gone by then,” I said without realizing it. “He wants to go back.”

“To his own universe?”

“Yes, and it isn’t likely I can go with him.” I let out a gut-wrenching sigh as I uttered, “I have Vasken to deal with… and Jane.”

“Then he will probably never know.”

“Hopefully, and thank you, Doctor Wong.” I raised my hand in front of her chest as I related, “It will be our little secret.”

“Little, indeed,” she rapped out with sarcasm. “I will tell the others that you felt ill, and that is why you did not hold a meeting last night.”

“Thanks.”

“I expect to see you in a few hours?”

“Yes, I will prepare for the meeting now.”

“And visit Richards,” she implored, with half a smile. “He is very worried about you.”

“He’s like a brother,” I laughed, and gave her a small wave goodbye as I left her office.

Petyr was half asleep on the chair when I entered the waiting room, and I felt a harsh knot at the bottom of my stomach knowing I was hiding such a terrible truth. “Hey,” I whispered, as I rubbed my hand down his neck and over the left side of his shoulder. “I’m done.”

“Hello, sweetling,” he murmured, as he batted his eyelids at me sleepily. “You’re all done?”

“Yes, Pete.”

He outstretched his arms and legs as he sat in the chair, and then scratched his chest drowsily, as if sleep was still overtaking him. “Time for lunch?”

“Sure, but after that you should spend time with your friends.”

“Why?”

“I have to pay some people a visit. It’s nothing to worry about, I am just getting ready for the expedition to Dolus.”

“Alright,” he yawned, before he rubbed the back of his hands over his eyes. “I might take a nap. I haven’t really been getting much sleep.”

“Okay.”

“The Doctor said you’re okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine. Fit and ready for service.”

“Alright, sweetling,” he murmured, and pulled me downward so he could land a kiss on the side of my cheek. “Time for lunch!” he shouted out happily, and I only wish I could join his momentary pleasure, but instead my thoughts were consumed with his potential reaction if he ever realized I was carrying _his_ child.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you are reading so far, feel free to hit the kudos button or write a quick comment. I am interested in your thoughts on the story so far, especially since there is a lot more adventure to come.


	15. Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa thought she was safe, but it turns out she was so very wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reached a 1000 hits, so to celebrate I decided to write another chapter. I hope you all enjoy it,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

Diego was mopping up a profuse amount of sweat dripping down his forehead when he finally noticed me. He stood in the center of the gymnasium with an extremely large water bottle in hand, that he was downing by the second before he let out a long exhale at me. “Sansa,” he quipped, and drew his hairy arm across his forehead to make sure he was somewhat dry before he continued: “I heard you’ve been looking for me.”

“I was about to say the exact thing to you.”

“We are postponing the expedition for a day or two.”

“Why?”

“We still know nothing about it, or the dangers that await us once we enter Vasken’s abandoned base.”

“An _abandoned_ base,” I replied with sarcasm. “Or you think there will be ghosts in there?”

“I don’t know what the hell is down there,” he retorted. He dragged his fingers through his jetty black hair, all sticking to the tips of his fingers from the immense amount of sweat. “And I’m not losing men for a lost cause.”

“There is nothing down there, Diego.”

“That’s what you’d like to think.”

“Its what I know!” I rebutted. “Its been abandoned for some years-”

“- according to the record, yes,” he interjected. “But we both know records can be tampered with!”

“Your paranoid.”

“Cautious,” he countered. “And you should be too.”

“I am,” I told him sternly. “How about we send down a small crew?”

“Define “A small crew,’” he repeated with air quotes for further mockery.

“I don’t know… four or five.”

“I’m not going,” he shot out, as he flapped his soaking wet tank-top that exposed his chiselled chest that was underneath it.

“You are the lead of the security force, of course you’re going!”

“Haven’t you seen the Alien’s movie?”

“What?”

“Sansa, I am not sticking my neck out unless I know exactly what I am going to encounter. The planet Dolus was used specifically for secret scientific experiments- experiments that disembodied or attached non-organic mechanisms into the human autonomy.”

“Really, Diego,” I sighed with an evident role of the eye. “Those bodies would have decomposed a long time ago.”

“Have they?” Diego questioned me, before he threw his towel over his shoulder. “I’m not going.”

“Then who will?”

“You go.”

“Oh, so you can take the ship and fly off without me.”

“Look who’s paranoid now,” he laughed, while striding out of the gymnasium. He led me out into the hallway while stretching out his arms with half-closed lids. He was obviously a gym rat, but at least his athleticism would come into good use as head of security. “Your quiet,” he observed, as we walked down the bustling hallway side by side.

“I’m thinking.”

“About?”

“Going down to Dolus.”

“Go.”

“Why is everyone so afraid of it?”

“Haven’t you ever been afraid of the unknown?”

“No.” He stopped outside of the men’s changeroom with his arms crossed and stared at me as if he didn’t believe it. “Its just like any other planet.”

“Haven’t you ever thought there just might be a reason why Vasken abandoned it?” There was a long pause, in which he raised his left eyebrow at me for emphasis. “But if you want to explore that lonesome planet, be my guest.”

“Petyr chose it for a reason.”

“He chose you too,” he pointed out. “None of it makes sense.”

“There was a reason. Petyr, _always_ had a reason for everything.”

“Then how about you personally select your own crew to go down to Dolus. If you need anything, just send us a signal and we will come get you.”

“There is only one small ship attached to this,” I reminded him. “Once its gone, there is no one coming back. You would have to send the entire ship down.”

“Ares?”

“Of course, Ares!” I shouted at him with my hand suddenly over my hips. “Can I trust you, Diego?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t believe you,” I cussed. “It sounds like you want to get rid of me.”

“No, I want to get rid of that sketchy doppelganger you keep hanging around you,” he sneered with a terrible curl of his lip. “But that conversation will have to wait… _after_ I change.”

“I hope you trip over something in there,” I mumbled under my breath, once he closed the door behind him. _Why does everyone have to keep hating on Pete,_ I wondered, as I tapped my hand over the side of the doorframe. _It is that very reason that I will always have to keep him with me,_ I contemplated, _who knows what will happen if I leave him on Ares without me?_

 _Or what he would do,_ a dark voice whispered behind my ear, a sinister reminder that Petyr was still beyond my control- a man that would sacrifice everything to get what he wants.

Diego walked through the door with his hand over the zipper of his midnight black suit, a grave reminder of the district he belonged too. “Where is he?” Diego barked at me, the second our eyes connected in the busy hallway.

“Petyr?”

“Yeah.”

“He is taking a nap,” I assured him. “I left him in our room after we had lunch together.”

“Lunch together,” he sneered at me with a look of revulsion. “Do you two ever spend a moment apart from each other?”

“Why do you care where he is?” I asked him, with every effort to fain indifference to his last comment.

“Because when he is with you, I know he is under supervision. But when he is alone…”

“He is sleeping,” I stated with a tightness to my voice. “So, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Walk with me,” he muttered, as he smoothed down his security suit where a silver crested bald eagle sigil over laid over his chest. “We have lots to discuss, and very little time.”

“The meeting is an hour,” I countered, before I took my proper place by his side. “We can discuss more there.”

“More?”

“I’m sure everyone has an opinion about Petyr,” I said with a disgruntled expression. “And I am ever so eager to here it.”

“Careful, Sansa, your job may be on the line.”

“Because I’m defending him?”

“Because you are getting to close,” he argued back, and held open a door for us to go into the center of the ship, a sort of hub that led us to different districts of the ship on the lower level of Ares. “You never told me you were living with him.”

“Was I supposed too?”

“It would have helped,” he retorted. “But since the two of you are so close… you can send him a message.”

“Like what?” I questioned him with narrowed eyes. “How much you hate him?”

“I want him to come into my office this evening. We need to discuss certain matters.”

“Like what?”

“A simple investigation, Sansa, it is nothing that touches your jurisdiction.”

“Like _what?_ ” I asked with a steeliness to my voice.

“We wish to know more about him,” he offered. “His planet, galaxy, anything that can prove he isn’t a threat to Ares.”

“He isn’t a threat.”

“No, of course _you_ would say that,” he stated with a slight tremble to his lip. “But let us go back to the beginning, you are living with him?”

“Its not against protocols.”

“No, it isn’t.” He paused once we reached a crowd of people and had to carefully maneuver ourselves to get a few feet away from them. It was just after lunch hours and everyone was loitering around, until the bell would toil to send them to work again. “But it can lead to gossip,” he resumed, without every sparing a glance in my direction. “And worry.”

“That he will corrupt me?”

“You are already siding with him… defending him even.”

“Because he is not as bad as you, and everyone else for that matter makes him out to be!” I implored. “And who I choose to live with is none of their business.”

“It is when you are in command of this ship,” Diego stressed. He stopped in his tracks and decided to take a hidden staircase to get to the second level, realizing the crowd of people up ahead were all waiting for the elevators. “Come with me,” he urged, and held open the heavy doors until I passed on through. “Living with him practically makes him your equal, and he will use this to his advantage,” Diego reasoned, after he mounted the first step. “Not to mention, he can acquire information to use against you.”

“Like a spy,” I said with utter sarcasm to Diego’s back.

“He could blackmail you.”

“I have nothing to hide.”

“Can attain information that is easily accessible in your room.”

“You forget I am not even living in my room,” I pointed out loudly, since he was now a few steps ahead of me. “There is nothing to see there.”

“He could harm you, and no one would know.”

“Petyr would never hurt me.”

“No?”

“Never!” I shouted out and found my grip tightening over the handrail. “And I am tired of everyone thinking that.”

Diego continued to mount the steps, but he did it in complete silence. A blessing in disguise, as I had found my cheeks burning red with inexplicable anger. _I am tired of defending him._

Diego held open the door again for me once we reached the second landing, and then pulled out his security card from his pocket as we approached the security courters. The lobby was the same as usual, lined up with people who wished to make complaints or had trouble with the law. The longer we traveled in space, the more people became restless, and the trouble with that is people showcased it in different ways. Diego steered his way through the thin crowds, frequently looking back to make sure I was following with him. He offered small greetings to a few of his staff members once we passed the front desk, and then tiredly mount a small set of steps to take him to the security camera room. “Right,” he bellowed aloud after he unlocked a heavy black door and thrust it open with the palm of his hand. “Time to check on your royal highness.”

“What?” I laughed, while hovering over his right shoulder to take a better look at the hovering monitor screens.

“Freddie Mercury,” he taunted, before he pressed in a few keys to a hovering monitor in front of him.

“Are you trying to pull my leg?”

“He did shave his moustache, so you know…” There was a wicked smirk that appeared on Diego’s face once he finally turned around to look at me. “You should know by now that nothing is private.”

“What are you saying?”

“But I am glad I don’t have fully operating camera’s in _all_ of the rooms,” he threatened, before he crossed his arms at me. “Go on, let it out.”

“Your spying on me?”

“Purely for security reasons.”

“Your fucking spying on me! What are you, some fucking mad man?”

“As I said before, it is limited.” He turned his back to me slightly, before he moved the hovering keyboard away and used his two hands to zoom in on an image. “I only wish we had a security tag on Petyr too,” he breathed. “As you can see, your love of your life has left your living quarters.”

“How do you know that?”

“I was notified,” he droned with a careless shrug of his shoulders. “He’s been walking around ever since I went into the gym. Do you want to know where he went?”

“To his friends’ place.”

“Oh, his friends,” Diego darkly replied. “They are such lovely people, aren’t they?”

“Where did he go?” I demanded, not liking the suspicious look creeping across his face. The man barred his top set of teeth at me, while eyes as black as coal stared at me wickedly.

“I don’t know,” he finally relented. “But I intend to find out.”

“I don’t want you spying on us anymore,” I threatened. “Especially in my quarters, it is _supposed_ to be private.”

“I am second guessing the whole thing,” he confessed. “Seeing how heated the two of you are.”

Without thinking I smacked him on the side of his face, and then trembled when I saw the anger flash across his eyes. _If he touches me, I’ll kill him myself._ I stood perfectly still, waiting for his response, and just when he lifted his hand, I flinched enough to make him freeze. Diego slowly raised his hand to his face and rubbed the beat red mark across his cheek profusely. “Don’t lay a hand on me again,” he threatened through gritted teeth.

“Then take that god damn camera out of my room.”

He walked past me with his heavy military boots banging across the floor, and before I knew it slammed the door shut with his back towards it. I froze, fearing he would hurt me for sure, but something seemed to change his mind suddenly, for his eyes widened and then he jogged towards the blue hovering screen just behind me. “Got him!” he shrilled, and then left the room as fast as he could.

I was still startled, fearful of what Diego would have done to me if he had not spotted Petyr on the screen. I turned around slowly, scanning the screen until I could see the thing of interest. _Petyr,_ I thought, and not even the sight of him talking to Mariam in the scientific quarters could irk me. I ran out the room as well, but I had no intention to head the same area as him. First, I had to take matters into my own hands.

* * *

“You want a gun?” Captain Ali asked, before he leaned forward in his desk.

“For protection.”

“Sansa, I told you I will deal personally with Diego personally. He will be dismissed, as soon as he steps back into his office.”

“Yes, but Petyr might be in danger.”

“Petyr can take care of himself,” he assured me, and then motioned me to take a seat in front of his desk. “But if you want, I will send-”

“Yes!”

“I’m not even finished,” he relayed with his hand hovering just over the side of his face. “I was going to send a security force.”

“Send the Hound,” I told him. “If anyone can take on Diego, it would be him.”

“Very well,” he muttered, and then went to the other side of the desk to make the necessary phone call. I looked down at my hands to find them still shaking, its been like that ever since Diego locked me in the security camera room. The adrenaline was still running through me, making me slightly mad the longer I knew Petyr was in trouble as well. Captain Ali hung up the phone and made another phone call, so I took the opportunity to scan his room: the Captain had a framed photograph facing his direction, and discarded mug or two at the corner of his desk and a hovering monitor that was currently on “Sleep Mode.” His thick Indian accent rang through the air as he turned his head to the open window, and he probably found some interest in the ray of blue light that shined into a portion of his room. Dolus was already making its mark on us all, that brilliant ray of blue light had been on us since the moment we approached the planet’s atmosphere. I was so eager to discover it, but it would have to wait… for a little while at least.

“They are on their way,” Captain Ali spoke aloud, cutting through the last of my thoughts. “Is there anything else you need. I can see- I know its still affecting you.”

“I want to go to Dolus, and when I do… I’m taking Petyr.”

“That is completely out of the question.”

“I am not asking you,” I stated with a cold sternness to my voice. “I’m telling you.”

“He is not a member of Elisium,” he reminded me. “We know nothing about him.”

“All the more reason to take him! I want him by my side.”

“Think of the risk.”

“Isn’t more of a risk to leave him behind?” I countered. “I want him with me, Ali.”

“You like him too much.”

“Maybe I do.” I rose from my seat and headed over to the glass window, looking down to see the icy blue planet below. “But I need him.”

“Only Petyr.” I heard him grunt under his breath for a moment before he added, “His friends must stay.”

“Why?” I asked him, while I let the palm of my hands hover over the frigid glass. “They could be of help.”

“Have you never heard of a mutiny, Sansa?”

“Yes.”

“All he needs is to have you restrained with a gun to your head, and then what do we do?”

“You go on without me.”

“We would save you,” he stated with feeling. “There is too much at risk.” Captain Ali rose from his seat as well and sauntered over to me at a leisurely pace. He stood on the other side of the glass window, watching the heavy rise of blue light emitting from the planet before it fell to its natural atmosphere again. “I will make sure his friends are well protected,” he sighed. “For you, at least.”

“I think your wrong.”

“You are allowed to disagree,” he reminded me with a slight smile to his face.

I leaned the side of my body against the glass, feeling the cold surface seep into my thin white uniform. I wanted my favourite sweater over me right now, itching to feel that thick material wrapped around me with the silvery grey lettering of “Elisium” over it. _I should get Petyr to wear it,_ I mused, and hoped it would fit this new man that stepped into my life for good.

“Sansa,” the Captain said in a much kinder tone of voice. “You should get ready for the meeting. Its almost time.”

“I won’t start till I know Petyr is safe.”

“He will be safe, I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I fought back, and leaned off the glass window to show my determination. “It can wait.”

“Sansa,” he groaned, like a man that already knew he was defeated. “What will the others think?”

“I don’t care.”

“They are already talking.”

“Let them!” I bit down at my lower lip angrily, before I cut my eyes at him. “And I want Diego in that lovely little cell… the one next to his favourite pet.”

“That robot is still fully operated,” he reminded me. “Mariam can’t figure out a way to shut it off.”

“Just be happy I’m not putting him in the same cell,” I shot back, and wore a sinister smug as I looked away from him. “Send a message that the meeting is adjourned,” I ordered. “It will resume when that man is in custody, and I know for sure that I am safe.”

“Your safe.”

“No one is ever safe,” I muttered under my breath, before I left his room. “Not even me.”

I finally understood why her old Petyr was always on guard, and why he created a security force specifically designed for him. _Kong,_ I recalled, and then found my footsteps leading to a different direction entirely- a place I never set foot into, since Ares lifted off from Elisium’s platform and left the planet for good. The civilization was long gone, but a part of it remained on this ship. It was only a question, of whether I could find it.

I went into the highly classified section of the ship, a space only accessible to Captain Ali and I; it required a retina scan and a hand print to just get inside, and a voice automated password to access certain records. I had memorized the password Petyr had passed down to me, the day he gave me access to classified records once he realized I was to be his equal in everything. “The Fingers,” I uttered, even though its true meaning still escaped me. The hover monitor appeared, and I explored the software until I could retain a full list of everyone that worked as the _Brown Shirts,_ and then selected a filter to see the few remaining that were alive and onboard this ship. I printed off the list for a physical copy and stuck it in the small pocket of my uniform before I logged out of everything. _They were loyal to Petyr,_ I reminded myself, _why shouldn’t they be loyal to me as well?_

I only remembered The Hound working as a Brown Shirt, the image of him beating Ramsay Bolton to a pulp was still vivid in my mind’s eye. There was something about the way he looked at me that assured me, I could trust him with my life. I shut off the lights and headed out of the room, finding it odd that this space was located on the highest level of the ship. I noticed how often I looked at the security cameras, fearful that Diego was in the security camera room watching- waiting for me to fall into the clutch of his hands. _I need protection,_ I reminded myself, and found my steps brisk as I practically ran to the elevator and slammed my finger against the silver sheened buttons. The elevator took an awfully long time to come, and when it did, I held my breath as the seal cracked open. _Empty,_ I realized, and let out a small sigh before I pressed the button that would leave me to the bottom level of Ares. _It’s time to pay my brother a visit._

* * *

“You apologize,” he muttered with his head still bent low over a clipboard on his desk. “And then ask for weapons.”

“I need protection, Jon, you of all people must understand that.”

“I warned you about him, and you didn’t listen,” he grumbled with both of his hands in covering his face. He still had that awful black eye, a grave reminder of what parallel Pete had done to him.

“Its not for Petyr.” He watched me lean my upper thighs against his desk, and the way I outstretched my arms to lay the palms of my hand on either side of his desk. I took the position of command, and I did it for a very specific reason. “I was almost attacked by someone, and I won’t let it happen again. Do you have a gun, or not?”

“Ares has guns,” he grunted, with a single eye looking in my direction. “But its off limits.”

“Not for me.”

“You can’t just walk around this ship with a gun.”

“I can, and I _will._ ”

“This man… will he do it again.”

“Its not just about him,” I pointed out. “It made me realize the dangerous position I am in, since I am the Head of Elisium.”

“You never been in danger before,” he gibed, with the end of his pen pressed between the thin lips of his mouth.

“Give me a gun, Jon,” I told him wearily.

“I have to run it by Richards.”

“Fine.”

“And he is mighty upset with you still.”

“Great!” I yelled out, once my brother left his seat to lead me to his office. We walked by the long rows of buggies and motorcycles that were still being built or tested to a certain degree. The engineers were masterful here, creating things with any material they could find on the planet Plegethon, but unfortunately, these materials were slowly running out.

“So, is this new Petyr still a dick?” Jon asked over his shoulder loudly, as we passed a few of his friends that fist-bumped him as he walked by.

“Yeah, he still has one.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he stammered out, as he looked over his shoulder at me. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” I replied with a devious smug. “But I haven’t tried it yet.”

“Ugh,” he grunted, and cover his mouth like he would suddenly throw up. “I don’t want to know.”

“Then don’t ask.”

“Christ, Sansa!” He didn’t even bother holding the door for me, as we entered a smaller section of the engineering department. “I don’t know what happened to you.”

 _I grew up._ I turned my head to see the workers that were focused on the running of the ship, and I was grateful for them, otherwise Ares could potentially be floating off in deep space. _Just another reason why we should explore Dolus,_ I thought, _at least we have a back up if something goes wrong._

When we walked into Richards private office he was off staring into space, his hand was painfully held in front of his chest as if it would break off his wrist at any second. Jon knocked on the open door and cleared his throat, before his manager ushered him in. “Your sister is with you too,” he dryly remarked, before he let his sad looking eyes fall all over me.

“Hello Richards,” I said in an equally emotionless voice. I plopped down on his comfy seat and leaned my back against the bright red pillow for added comfort. “What’s wrong with your hand?”

“It aches from time to time.” He watched Jon close the door behind him, before he let his eyes fall on me again. “You never come down here. What’s wrong?”

“I need a gun.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe a knife or dagger too.”

“For Petyr?”

“God damnit! Why does everyone think its for him.”

“Then, who is it for?”

“You’ve ever been scared, _Damian._ ” He raised his eyebrows at me, startled that I addressed him by his first name for perhaps the first time ever. “Cause I was… today. I’m not going to let that happen again.”

“What happened?”

“I want the gun.”

“Sansa,” he said with concern. “You can tell me, what happened?”

“I was almost attacked by a man in high command, with enough power to seriously hurt me and lock me in Ares’ cells if he wished too. Give me the god damn gun, Richards.”

He rose from his chair and unhooked a key at his side hip. He threw it in Jon’s direction, and fortunately for them both Jon was quick enough to catch it. “You know where it is,” he stated in a low tone of voice, before he took his seat. He eyed Jon as he left the door and only spoke up once he heard it lock behind him. “You know how to work one?”

“I used it when we were attacked by Vasken’s androids, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I can figure it out.”

“One wrong move and you can puncture the walls of this ship. Then we will get more than we bargained for.”

“I will only use it only when necessary.”

“Get you a gun strap too,” he mumbled, while rubbing his strong hand against his upper lip. “You’ll be looking like a cowgirl.”

“That’s what I’m aiming for,” I said in flat tone of voice. “You still angry with me?”

“Nah, I’m just worried.” He leaned back against his chair and spun around a dark emerald pen between his fingers. He looked almost lost for a moment, but soon enough he settled back in the present moment. “You look different.”

“I do?”

“Changed.”

“How?”

He dropped the pen to his desk and let his eyes rest over it for a moment more. “He really scared you, eh.”

I turned my head away and focused on door knob for some unknown reason.

“You know, that’s how I feel with you around Pete.”

“He would never harm me.”

“No, but he would harm _us._ ” Richards rubbed his strong hand over his scarred one, stretching out his fingers that looked limp in his hand. “I know he loves you, if not now, then sooner or later.”

“Why?”

“Its just got to happen.”

“Why?”

“Cause he’s Petyr.” He offered a false smile. “And you got those beautiful blue eyes and long red hair, why, any man could get lost with that look. But Pete, well, Petyr will most definitely become a lost man.”

“I would like to think its more than looks.”

He laughed a little to himself while he lifted up the same pen. “It is, Sansa.” His eyes darted up the moment we heard the door unlock, and Jon sheepishly walked into the room with a hand gun with a royal blue glowing tip. “Its activated.”

“I wanted to make sure everything is in order.”

“Turn it off,” he bluntly said, and only looked at ease when he heard the gun drone low with the familiar sound of it shutting down. “Hand it to her.”

“Thanks,” I offered, as I placed it between my hands and slowly outstretched my arms. “It feels light.”

“I thought you would like it,” my brother remarked with a small crack to his voice. “But be careful.”

“I will.”

“And use it on Petyr,” he joked, but his laugh quickly faded when I pointed the gun at his face.

“Don’t say that again,” I warned, even though the weapon was shut off. “Not one word.”

“I was only joking.”

“I don’t _fucking_ care!”

“Okay?”

It was Richards turn to address me with a soft knock on the wooden desk. “Earth to Sansa, you need to calm down.”

I stood out of my seat with the gun slung loose in my right hand. “Where is your phone?”

“What?”

“Your communicator thingy.”

“Sansa,” he breathed, but he was soon silenced when I walked past his front desk to punch at the small circular device connected to the wall. “What are you doing?”

“I’m making a call.” I pressed in four digits quickly and crossed my arms while it rung. “Can someone get me a sling for this thing? I don’t want to walk around all day with it in my hands.”

Jon left the room promptly while the communicator pulsated with small beeps, low and deep until a crack was heard on the other end of the phone. “Richards, how can I help you?”

“Its Sansa,” I drawled into the receiving speaker. “Have you captured Diego yet?”

“Yes, he is in custody.”

“Not locked away?”

“We have to hear his side of the story.”

“I already told you the fucking story,” I cursed, and without realizing my entire body trembled in front of the phone. “Now, lock him up!”

“Sansa, we can’t do that,” my Captain complained. “But if it helps… there are several anonymous reports ringing through of assaults and… um… sexual ones too. Sansa, I’m sorry. We are doing everything we can.”

“I want him off this ship.”

“I don’t- what- what?”

“Off.”

“How?”

“How ever fucking way you want! No, I have a better idea-”

“Sansa,” he cut in with warning. I heard Richards raise himself from his seat with concern, and even he was giving me that look that said: “Don’t say it.”

“Captain Ali,” I bellowed into the microphone. “Send him to Dolus… alone.”

“That is against our protocols.”

“That is all, Ali,” I sharply replied. “The meeting will start in ten minutes and I expect you to be there.” The door behind me opened, and Jon walked in with a long gun strap that would fit around me perfectly. I smiled at the sight of it and found some level of peace at last. “Captain?”

“Yes?” he asked with some uneasiness.

“Where is Petyr?”

“He is held in custody as well. Apparently, he had a fight with Diego.”

“Is he alright?”

“Not a scratch.”

A wicked smile came across my face, and I found my fingers were tightening around the gun hilt with excitement. “Not a scratch, you say?”

“A few marks on his knuckles, but that’s expected.”

“Tell him I’m coming,” I declared loudly. “I’m heading there now.”

“We have him under questions.”

“That’s an order, Captain,” I quipped into the microphone before I shut it off. I turned to see Richards and Jon giving me a look, and I knew it was a look of disapproval from both men. I ignored it entirely, and snatched the heavy strap from my brother’s loose grip. “You keep looking at me that way,” I grunted to my brother. “And I don’t like it.”

“I just want you to be safe.”

“I am safe,” I reminded him, after I tightened the strap around my waist.

“Not with him.”

“The only place I am ever safe is with him,” I countered. “When I go down to Dolus are you coming with me?”

“Do you want me too?”

“That’s why I’m asking.”

“Alright.”

I stuck the gun in its holster snuggly and shot him a grin before I wrapped my arms around him. “Thank you, Jon,” I breathed into the side of his neck, and held him in my arms for an unusually long time. “I love you, you know.”

“I love you too, San-San.” He kissed me on the side of my cheek and patted me on the side of my arm in a loving manner. “Take care of yourself, alright?”

“Alright! Talk to you soon,” I answered him, and then looked over my shoulder to take a glance at an old friend. “And I will be seeing you at the meeting.”

“You will.” He shook his head naughtily at me before he shouted out, “You’re not bringing that boy with you, are you?”

“Petyr?” I snickered. “I’m not going a place without him.” I shot him a wink, which he didn’t like one bit before I walked out the room with my thumb rubbing the top of the gun affectionately. _I won’t have any one get in my way again,_ I told myself, and felt a cold sensation run down my spine as if I knew this parallel Pete would approve.

 


	16. Covetousness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr is under heavy security, and Sansa will do everything she can to break him out... no matter the costs.

A security guard tried to stop me as I approached the investigation room, blocking the closed doorway with his arms tightly crossed against his chest. “You can’t go inside,” he warned, in a stern voice that lent authority.

 _I am not in the mood for this._ “Get out of the way. You know who I am.”

“You still can’t go in.” The security guard’s voice lightened slightly when I stood directly in front of him. “There is an investigation.”

“You have until the count of five.”

“Sansa.”

“Five- four…” he visibly swallowed, looking unsure what would happen when I reached zero. “Three- two- one…” I paused for an extra second and when he didn’t even flinch, I suddenly decided to forgo the last number. “Fuck it.” I thrust the gun out of my holster and struck him at the side of the face, and before he could even fight back, I hit him on the corner of his head and then kicked his back knee where his knee cap collapsed and left him crumbling to the ground chest first. “And its _Stark_ to you,” I gibed, before I wrestled the key from off the half-conscious man to open the security door.

The man that was conducting the investigation was a small, frail looking thing. I knew with one glance that Petyr could take him down easily, but then I noticed his wrists were handcuffed. _I think its Christmas,_ I thought, as I strode through the room with my gun pointed at the crooked old man. “Release him.” The investigator inhaled sharply, surprised to see a woman pointing a glowing blue gun directly at his chest. His eyes lingered on the gun, and then fell to the stolen set of keys dangling from my gun strap. “I have it, don’t I?”

The man opened his mouth, and then decided against it. He turned his gaze away timidly, and I knew I had him at that moment. “You brought a present, sweetling,” Petyr remarked in a sly little voice, his voice sounding so smooth it left me with an uncomfortable arousing feeling down below.

“Christmas came early,” I answered him with a smirk, and then unhooked the set of keys to slide it across the table. “Unlock it, and I’ll stay on guard,” I told him, with my gun pointed at the grey old man in front of Petyr. I heard the low gurgling of the security guard outside the door and knew this unplanned break-in would come with its own set of unexpected obstacles.

“Maybe I’ll keep the cuffs,” Petyr exclaimed, after his red right hand was released; there was evident cuts and bruises across the front of his knuckles, but the swelling didn’t seem to bother him. “For later on tonight.”

“You plan to arrest someone, Baelish,” I teased, while watching him from the corner of my eye.

“I plan to have someone tied up to my bed,” he droned in a low voice, which made my arm falter for a moment. He knew he had me, a single look in my direction and he saw the rising colour to my once pale cheeks. “A little reward,” he drawled out, before he rose himself off the steel grey seat.

“Let’s go,” I ordered, and shut off the glowing gun before I stuck it into my holster. Petyr stretched out his legs and walked ahead of me, glancing over to his left and right as we walked down the isolated hallway. “There is no one here,” I exclaimed, and then tapped his shoulder for us to go into a doorway on my left. “I told them I was getting you out one way or another.” I let my hand rest over the doorknob as I added, “They didn’t believe me.”

“Where’s Diego?” he suddenly asked, once I had opened the door to the emergency staircase.

“Under custody still.”

“He still has a broken nose then,” he said gleefully, and before I knew it, he wrapped his hand around the front of my mid-section from behind. “I don’t think you know how protective I am over you.”

“I have an inclination,” I teased, as I tried to walk up the staircase with him wrapped around me like an octopus.

“He said some things,” Petyr grumbled with a low tremble to his voice. “All I remember was seeing red.”

“I’ve taken care of him,” I assured him, before I gave up the vain attempts to walk up the emergency staircase for a quick escape. “Pete, if you want to get out of here, we have to go faster.”

“Why are you running? Aren’t you the boss?”

“I am, but that doesn’t mean I can do whatever I please.” I turned around in his tight grip until we were face to face. “Besides, I am supposed to be at a meeting by now. I- I made a quick detour.”

“I’m flattered,” he said with ill humour, though his eyes were unnervingly fixated on my lips. “That you put off a meeting to come for me.”

“Yeah, well…” I lost my train of thought, as I found myself getting lost in that heated gaze of his. “I couldn’t go in there without you.”

A tension fell in the air, and I was starting to wonder if he would have me in the empty staircase here and now. _Well, this was never one of my fantasies,_ I thought, as I felt my gaze flickering to the silver sheen handcuffs clutched tightly in his left hand. My mind went blank, and I felt an overwhelming desire succumb me.

“I like your gun,” he hushed in barely a breath, though there was a slight raspiness to his voice.

“What can I say, I’m well equipped,” I said with sudden wittism. “Kind of like you,” I observed, and then let my hand slink down to cup the hardness in the center of his pants. A soft pant escaped me, realizing how hard he really was for me. Petyr’s grip around me tightened suddenly, and without realizing it, he began to lean his crotch heavily into my open hand. “Petyr,” I breathed, startled by the fire residing in his grey-green eyes; they had become as dark as a slab of iron. There were no words uttered, but our thoughts became so very resolute in sync that my shirt was barely undone before he placed his puckered red lips over my breasts. We fell down on the hard, grey staircase, and Petyr was quickly on top of me as he took turns sucking and nipping at my heaping breasts in front of his face. His hands were busy too, rubbing down the sides of my frame soothingly, as if he wanted me to relax. “Are we- we…” I lost my voice and let out a wheezing sound instead. “Shit, Pete!”

“Quiet,” he warned, when he let his mouth over my nipple for a blessed moment. “I don’t want anyone to hear.”

“We are supposed to be…” I lost it again, his teeth barred down on my peak and twisted it cruelly. I let out a moan, and Petyr chided me by moving his face upwards to encapsulates his lips with my own. I curled my body around him, lifting my legs to wrap around his lower body as he continued to kiss me. I felt like a cat all curled up around him, and there was nothing he could do to release me from him.

“You look so sexy back there,” he whispered in a quaky voice. “Why, I almost wanted to have you right there in front of that poor old man.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I like when you’re in control,” he quivered, and then followed it with a deep bite into the bottom of my lip. I moaned in pain, but he soon soothed it away with his fingers softly gliding against the surface. “Sorry, sweetling, but when it comes to bedding you, I’m in command.”

“That’s fine with me,” I teased, as I looked up at him with half squinted lids.

“You may live to regret that,” he answered me, before he leaned forward to kiss my lips nice and slow. I let my arms wrap around him tightly, until our bodies were nearly cocooned. We got lost in each other kisses for a few minutes, to busy enjoying in each other to have a second thought for anything else. I tiredly leaned my head back against the dirty staircase and opened my mouth to catch my breath. Petyr was doing the same, but he was still determined to be on top of me; it suited him most, so who was I to fight back. “I want to finish this upstairs,” he breathed, while brushing his bangs away from his face.

“I have a meeting.”

“Fuck the meeting!”

“Petyr,” I scolded. “Business before pleasure.”

“Ah, that’s my girl!” He raised his red hand and let it hover just over the side of my face. “I like you when your mask is off.”

I opened my mouth into an “O” shape, but Petyr quickly disregarded it by letting his tongue swoop inside of it, in search of my own. He was playing with me, taunting me with his flicks and jabs until I had no choice but to push him off me. “I have no mask!”

“Everyone does!” He pointed at the gun still tucked inside of my holster as he added, “But that gave you the balls to take it off.”

I pursed my kiss-swollen lips at him with annoyance, and then slammed down my hand on the hard staircase before I raised myself to my feet.

“You have nothing to hide from me, Sansa,” he said, after I had already mounted a few steps away from him. Petyr was still sitting on the ground, watching me with a look that was hard to describe. “We are so alike now.”

“No, we’re not.”

“We are,” he stated, once he stood up tall with his back against the handrail.

“You’re wrong,” I rebutted, a phrase I seemed to be using often today, now that I thought about it.

Petyr quickly jumped up the steps three at a time, and then was suddenly upon me with his hands wrapped around my hips from behind. “We are,” he breathed, and then kissed the side of my neck arduously. “God, you are making me go crazy,” he growled, as he let his hands rover up and then cup my breasts firmly in his hands. He was resting his aching crotch into my ass, and I instantly knew what he wanted.

“You’re not the only one.”

There were noises coming from the lower levels, and I could only assume that the investigator was surrounded by a security force asking him a bunch of questions. _Now, I’m screwed._

“You’re afraid,” Petyr mumbled, after he presumably caught my changed expression.

“Everyone wants me to stay away from you. I’m starting to worry that they will do everything they can to tear us apart.” I laid my hand over his scarred hand, and let my fingers soothingly rub over the areas that were not open and beet red from his recent wounds. “What if this is just the beginning.”

“The investigation,” he growled, which evidently came from the back of the throat.

“Yes, and Diego.”

“I took care of him.”

“What if he’s the first?”

“Then we will do it together,” he hushed into the side of my neck, while his hands grazed the center of my throat until he reached the collarbone.

“I won’t let them take you away from me,” I whimpered while my neck was outstretched to the fullest.

“They won’t.”

“I’ll kill them… _all_ of them.”

“Now, your sounding like the girl you were meant to be,” he answered me darkly. “A girl from _my_ dimension.” He thrust himself inside me from behind, and even though we were fully clothed I could feel the burning sensation of him trying to enter me from behind. He did it two more times, before he stopped, knowing it was useless in this current predicament. “Shit,” he mouthed, and I heard him take a few steps down the stairs noisily.

“What is it?”

He had his back to me, but I could tell he unzipped the front of his uniform to deal with the real problem at hand. “Fucking hell, why now?”

I laughed at him from behind, before I descended the steps to get at his level. He had his hardened cock in hand, trying to squeeze and stroke it painfully to ease away the tension. “I swear you have an unusually high sex drive.”

“Shut up,” he moaned, and positioned himself away from me to squeeze the life out of it. He was already dripping, and it looked like he wouldn’t be able to stop it anytime soon. “My fucking uniform,” he groaned, knowing it would get everywhere at this rate.

“Let me,” I offered, and knelt in front of him to delicately pull down the one-piece uniform so it wouldn’t show the embarrassing state of his depravity. “Petyr, let me,” I suggested, and held out my open palms in front of his mid-section.

“You don’t have too.”

“I want too.”

“Alright,” he said with flushed cheeks, and then let his hands go free so I could touch him. “Be-”

“-gentle,” I continued for him, seeing him already standing in an uncomfortable state. I let my fingers flick upwards from tip to end, watching him tremble slightly from the light sensation. It was a sensitive thing, and I realized I could work this to my advantage later. “Which way do I work it?”

“Down for now,” he groaned, with both of his hands steadily holding the handrail. “Christ, why can’t I control this thing?”

I rubbed my hand over the slick wet thing, feeling dirty as he steadily dripped himself on the floor. “Because it controls you,” I offered, and hated the fact that I wanted this obscene thing inside of me right now.

“Alright, you can go a little harder,” he offered, after he recovered his breath. “Yeah, right there,” he muttered, after I stroked a certain area with the ball of my thumb. “Jesus, Sansa,” he moaned, and let go of the cold handrail in favour of resting his hands over the top of my head. I was wearing a pony tail, but he was steadily messing it up, grinding the tips of his fingers and nails into my scalp upwards, until it was entirely undone by him. I could hear him breathing out frantically, wheezing softly to himself as he slowly inclined his body forward. “Faster,” he wheezed, and I had to kneel down to get into a more comfortable position at this point. “More!”

I wrestled my hand through his pulsing cock, alternating between a tight squeeze and sharp stroke until Petyr suddenly tilted his hip to the side and released himself down the wall of the staircase. He collapsed slightly against the handrail, and I heard him moan loudly as he held himself wearily.

“Feeling any better,” I teased, after I noticed how limp his cock became. Petyr held it firmly in the grasp of both hands, and only after he let out a shudder of a sigh did, he release it completely.

“Thank you, Sansa.”

“Yup.”

“That must have been a sight,” he laughed, as he wiped away his brow with his forearm.

“Seen worse,” I taunted, as I helped him to his feet. “Sure, I’ve tasted worse too.”

“You didn’t taste it at all,” he grudgingly replied. He raised an eyebrow however, when I knelt on one knee and kissed the tip of his cock for extra measure. It twitched instantly, and I Iooked up at Petyr with a wicked grin across my face. “Sansa, don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Let it be.”

“Do I really have that much control over it?”

“No,” he lied, and shuffled his feet across the step as he desperately tried to pull up his pants.

“I do, don’t I?”

“No.”

“So, if that is just what a kiss can do, imagine what happens when I take it whole?”

Petyr visibly swallowed hard, and I could have sworn all the colour in his cheeks had suddenly left him. “You are going to be the death of me,” he muttered, before he forced himself to mount the steps without me.

I walked behind him as I offered, “I think I’m hornier than you for once.”

“Stop talking.”

“You must really be spent.”

“Shut up, Sansa,” he tiredly replied, and then took larger steps to keep a careful distance from me. He heard me laughing behind him, but refused to turn his head, not even once.

I wondered if I really was turning into him, or if I was simply becoming corrupt. I had such vile, wicked thoughts of what I wanted to do to him, and it was all because of him. He made me into a person I hardly recognized, and the mere sight of a set of handcuffs still dangling in his hand made me want to clasp it around my wrist and claim myself as his prisoner. Oh yes, these were some very dark thoughts indeed.

“When I open these doors will I immediately become arrested?” Petyr asked, after we stood in front of the ground level doors that would lead to the front desk of the security quarters.

“Not if I have a say.”

“My uniform is still wet,” Petyr complained, as he looked down below.

“Its okay, Pete.” I took a step into his space as I whispered, “I will just tell them I claimed it as my own.”

“No… you won’t,” he said with some uneasiness, caught off guard by the lustfulness portrayed in my eyes.

“Will see.” I pushed open the door and charged out the room with my hand hovering over my holster just in case. The staff that worked in the security quarters immediately took a step back, probably sensing I was not in the mood for any bull-shit. Petyr was walking behind me, but after he sensed we wouldn’t be stopped he took his proper place by my side. We walked side by side in some strange unison steps and then opened the front doors at the same time to take us into the center hub of Ares. “That was easy.”

“Yeah.” He looked over his shoulder to see a person behind a desk running towards the wall communicator and nudged me to watch the woman well. “Who would they call?”

“Captain Ali,” I suggested. “He will be at the meeting, anyways. Let’s go.”

Petyr wrapped his arm around me and steered me to the elevator, so we could go the second level of Ares. We stood among a crowd of people, but that did not stop him from kissing the side of my temple affectionately. I turned my gaze to him and returned it with a heart felt kiss that was bordering on the edge of lustful covetousness. “You’re all mine, Petyr Baelish.”

“I can same the same to you,” he grumbled low like a wild, untamed beast.

“Every part of you I own.”

“Everything?” he teased, with his face just hovering in front of my own.

I smirked at him, half frightened to see my reflection in his steel grey eyes. “Everything.”

 


	17. The Meeting Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr and Sansa attend Elisium's meeting, and the council members are met with a few unexpected surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what's going on, but I feel the need to keep writing this story. I guess you all will have something to read over the holiday break. Enjoy,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

“Do you know what I see…” a deep, raspy voice echoed behind my ear. I raised my hand over my cheek and stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I could almost see his shadow behind me, a dim reflection of the man whose voice somehow found a way to creep into the dark caverns of my mind. “I see myself in you.”

I laid my hand over my cheek softly, glaring at the woman whose hair was falling out of place, with wisps of hair dangling out of her pony tail and falling down her back in a careless manner. _I barely recognized myself._

I pulled out the hair tie and fluffed out my hair, wrestling with the curls at the ends that kept knotting up together for some reason. “There are two kinds of people in this world,” his voice whispered in the corner of my mind. My hands froze, and I looked down at the hair tie that bunched my four fingers together. “Those who pretend they are something…” his voice almost whispered, which left a hitch in my throat. I closed my eyes to silence out his words, but it almost felt like his presence was standing right behind. “… and those that accept who they are.”

I opened my eyes and sighed at my reflection in the dirty bathroom mirror. I plucked the band off my fingers and stuck it in my pocket, before I walked away from the mirror with my hair looking wild and untamed. Petyr was waiting for me outside of the bathroom, leaning against a wall with his eyes half closed. He was inhaling that weird smoking mechanism again, letting tiny tendrils of smoke escaped his barely closed lips. “You let your hair down,” he observed lazily, with a curious look in his eyes.

“Yeah.”

“A change,” he uttered with a thick fog escaping his nostrils and open mouth. He blew it straight at me face for his own pleasure, watching me flick the smoky fog away with a constant wave of my hand. “I like it.”

“Its not exactly professional.”

“Who gives a fuck.” He handed the silver machine over to me, letting it rest in the palm of his hand as he hovered it in front of my face. “Want to try?”

“No.”

“I thought you would say the opposite.”

“I don’t even know what it is.”

He smiled at me, a genuine one, before he leaned himself fully against the wall again. “I smuggle it. I guess you can say it’s a mood depressant drug, at least this kind. There are different filters you see: a red one for adrenaline or aggression, and then a dark blue that calms you down, a yellow to make you feel happy, and then there is this…” He lifted my hand and thrust the smoking mechanism inside of it. “I don’t have a filter at all. I smoke it purely for the drug… a small thing, but it has a way of calming me down.”

“So, no emotions?”

“No,” he relayed, as he dropped his hands to his side and left me with the smoking mechanism to hold. “No one smokes it but me.”

“Oh.”

“I’m running out. One of the reasons I went to visit Mariam this afternoon, I know her department confiscated everything they found on my ship and there are tons of this unfiltered drug for my own personal use. You see the hole where I place my mouth?”

“Yeah.”

“Its clear, but with one thin slab into the insert I can induce any sort of mood I want.”

“That’s kind of neat.”

“Yeah,” he answered me, as he leaned off the wall. “Sure you don’t want to try?”

“Maybe another time.” I handed the machine back to him, while he casually placed his arm around me and let it hang over the front of my chest. “We are late-”

“-for the meeting,” he interjected. “You said it more times than I can count.”

“I’m going to get an ear full,” I worried aloud.

He brushed his head across my own, while he let his fingers fidget with the front of my zipper. “Tell them to shut it.”

“Petyr,” I moaned, as he blew the last of his coal black smoke from his lips and onto the side of my face. I could barely see where I was going, so I was forced to slow down my steps. _Its like walking through a fog with him,_ I worriedly thought, and promptly smacked his crazed little fingers that was fidgeting with the front of my zipper.

“Who’s in charge here?” he drawled out with a thick Irish brogue. “You? Or them?”

“Me.”

“What? I can’t hear you?” he gibed, noticing how small my voice was. He let his arm slip away and stood directly in front of me with that thick cloud of smoke still lingering between us.

“Its _me,_ Petyr!” I shouted, so he could at least take his hands off me.

“Then you go in there, and show him whose boss, eh?”

I nodded my head at him, and he promptly stuck his smoking device into his pocket before he let me pass on through. He walked behind me for some reason, as we traveled down the last of the hall, and only when we were about to approach the doors to the meeting room, did he take his place by my side.

I pushed open the door and sensed a tension in the room the minute I stepped in. Richards was sitting in my seat, wearing a faint grimace as he glared at the man beside me. To Richards right was Gabriella, the newly acquired head of the engineering department looked just as displeased as him. Doctor Wong raised herself from her seat worriedly, hands slightly over her mouth as the two of us walked further into our room. Petyr walked ahead of me and leaned both of his strong hands on the back of the chair where my friend, Richards, was seated.

“Get out of my seat,” I said in a tense voice, knowing the game he was playing at.

“Where were you?”

“Get out of my seat,” I repeated in a chilling voice.

“Your late.”

Petyr raised his head and gave me a dark glare, and I knew if Richards didn’t get out of that fucking chair than he would be forced too.

I took a large step forward and leaned against the table with my hand hovering just over the blank piece of paper in front of Richards. “I’m not going to ask you again.”

Richards pouted his lips and then slowly raised himself from his seat with his good hand on the table. “What happened to you, Sansa?” he asked in an accusatory voice.

“When you take a seat, the meeting will begin.”

“We already started without you,” Andrews piped up, and simply shrugged his shoulders when I turned my head in his direction.

“The meeting doesn’t start till I begin.” I looked Richards up and down questionably as he walked behind me, and only when he took his normal seat to my left, did I stand in front of my chair. “Besides, I have _business_ to attend too first.”

Petyr chuckled behind me, and I looked over my shoulder to see him with a confident grin. He slinked off the back of the chair, and then took a seat on the corner of the table to block out Richards view. “Someone get this man a chair,” I ordered, and glared at the entire assembly until someone was smart enough to obey my command.

“He can take mine,” Gabriela murmured, and then left the room to inquire after another one.

“You have my thanks,” Petyr said into the silent room, and then took the seat next to Richards with his feet flung over the table and resting on the edge.

Richards tilted his head at me, to express his annoyance, but I quickly turned away to ignore him. “This meeting is about the planet Dolus,” I declared with a somber expression. “Now, many of you already know that Diego is going down to the planet first.”

“What?” Andrews exclaimed, much to my annoyance.

“Did I stutter?” Petyr snickered in the corner with his hands barely covering his mouth. “I hope that will give everyone second thoughts if they even have a single thought to hurting me.” Petyr nodded his head at me in approval, and I felt a glimmer of pride at that moment. “On a further note, we will join him in a few days time, but we will take the escape pod, so we can travel back to Ares if needed. An open communication will be held with this ship at all times, and if we encounter any danger or potential harm that can affect anyone on this ship, we will send a wired code: 226, and that will give you the grounds to high tail it out of here.”

“You think there’s danger?” Petyr asked curiously, already feeling an equal footing with me, despite the narrowed looks from the council men around him.

“It’s a possibility.”

“Then it’s a good thing I will be there to protect you.” It was Richards turn to snicker, and he did it loud enough to offend poor Petyr. “Did I say something funny?” Richards shook his head with trembling lips, doing his absolute best not to laugh further. “He thinks I’m a comedian.”

“Richards, enough,” I warned with my hand hovering over the the table for emphasis. “Petyr is coming with me, and my brother, and whoever else wants to explore the planet.”

“I will go,” Andrews piped up with a raised hand. “You might need a doctor.”

“Good.” I puckered my lips and let my gaze fall over my grave looking friend. “Anyone else?”

Richards tilted his downward and stared at the long scars across his right hand.

Petyr cleared his throat and shouted out, “She asked a question!” He looked around the rest of the Elisium Council and grunted when there was no other reply.

Richards lifted his head to glare at me heatedly. “I have this mark on my hand because I risked my life to save you and Petyr. You remember what we faced in the Crystal Caves?”

“I did.” I nodded my head sadly as I muttered, “I do.”

“That Petyr was a good man,” he said with remorse. “But this man here… is so far from the man I once called my friend. I lost him, Sansa, and I don’t want to lose you too.”

“I’m right here,” I replied to him softly, and outstretched my hand to lay it over his unscarred one. “And that’s why I think you should come.”

He turned his head harshly to the right and looked at this parallel Pete up and down with suspicion. “If I come, I’m keeping an eye on him.” Petyr smirked at him in reply, which only angered Richards further. “And make sure he doesn’t blow up the ship or something.”

“That’s not really my style,” he replied sly fully, before Petyr directed his gaze to me with meaning. _What is he up too, now?_

“Thank you for coming, Richards,” I assured him, and offered him a smile that was real and true. “If I have to go through hell than I want you by my side.”

“Dolus isn’t hell,” Richards shot back with a whimsical smile.

“It is,” Petyr rebutted, while dragging the heel of his boat across the table surface. “If I’m coming.”

“How fitting.”

“Gentlemen,” I argued, and raised both of my hands in the air to silence them. “I have four members willing to go down to Dolus, is there no one else?”

“We need someone big and strong,” Richards called out. “Someone who can fight with two hands.”

“And someone smart,” Petyr rejoined. “If we are going to a science lab, we will know someone who is familiar with the area.” He tilted his head in Mariam’s direction and raised his eyebrows at her in a flirtatious manner. “How about it, Mar?”

“Mar?” Richards repeated with abhorrence. “You are on familiar terms with her now?”

“What do you say?” Petyr asked, clearly ignoring the man beside him.

She looked uncomfortable in her seat, shifting back and forth as she felt all eyes on her. “Only if I can bring Theodore.”

“That’s fine,” I assured her in a clear tone of voice. “Might be better that way,” I added, as I flickered my eyes between Petyr and Mariam.

“I’ll have him look at the architecture design. You know he studied that in school?”

“Architecture? No, I didn’t.”

“He might find something interesting.”

“All the better,” I relayed with both of my hands flat on the table. “Six! I have six men and women joining me, anyone else?”

“We nee someone to replace Diego,” Richards informed me in a serious tone of voice. “Someone _we_ can trust.”

“I don’t trust anyone.” My eyes flickered towards Petyr, and I felt he was the only one I could trust in secret. “I will hire The Hound.” I tapped my forefingers on the table in front of me while contemplating aloud, “And maybe some more muscle… I will have a look around.”

“Muscle over brains,” Mariam voiced aloud. “It wins every time.”

“Not necessarily.”

“I can’t be the only scientific mind on this expedition.”

“You have me,” Andrews reminded her with a sneer to his voice. “I’m certainly not muscle,” he implored, and flexed his scrawny arm to prove it.

“No, you’re not.”

Petyr raised his eyebrow at me, finding a way to have a silent conversation with only his facial expression and puckering lips. _He thinks he has both,_ I noted, and couldn’t help but smile at him.

“And besides,” Mariam bellowed out, while readjusting in her seat to face me. “We don’t _need_ a large party. It is probably better to have a small one.”

“Why?” I questioned her, not to degrade her, but to simply understand her reasonings.

“Because we don’t know what’s down there. If we were still with Vasken we could send droids down there.”

“But we don’t!” I yelled out. “And you know the reason why.”

“Yes, but-”

“- I don’t want to hear a single word about Vasken,” I cut in, finding myself getting upset by the mere mention of it. “If Petyr was here, he would say the same. We are going down in forty-two hours. In the meantime bring everything you need, and take time to read the packet Mariam has so graciously provided to us. In there, you will find everything you need to know about Dolus-”

“- and the science labs.”

“Yes, of course.”

“I suggest you look at the classified records,” she suggested. “I don’t have access, but I know you do.”

“Yes,” I drawled out with suspicion, wondering why she made so much effort to announce it to the room. Petyr looked uncomfortable as well, scanning his eyes at the men and women around him.

Gabriella opened the door and pushed a chair through the open doorway. “Did I miss something?” she asked, as she struggled her way into the room with the heavy chair.

“Let me help,” Richards offered, and jolted out of his seat to take the chair with his good hand. “Petyr, move your chair,” he barked out, and waited for Petyr to reluctantly shift his chair to the side to make more room for Gabriela.

“Sorry, I’m late,” the sweet girl replied, who reminded me so much of my former self.

“You want to come with us?” I asked of her, as I leaned forward on the desk. “To Dolus?”

“Why?”

“We might need you.”

“Is Richards going?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I should stay on the ship,” she suggested. “We might need someone too stay behind and look after Ares. You know, just in case.”

“No, that is very wise.”

“I try.”

“On one final note,” I relayed, sensing this meeting was coming to an end. “From this day forward, Petyr Baelish is inducted into the Elisium Council.” There was a series of groans and murmurs around the table, and I quickly silenced it with a raise of the hand. “I will have no complaints, so you can keep your thoughts to yourself!”

“The last time you were here,” Richards prompted in a deep, resolute voice. “You said you didn’t want him to be a part of the Council.”

“Things have changed.”

“Like what?”

“I _trust_ him.”

“And now we are expected to trust him too? Is that it?”

“Yes.”

He scratched his bald head upwardly, and then let out a long breath of air from the crack of his lip. “Behind enemy lines,” he murmured, but I still caught it from where I sat.

“That’s enough, Richards.”

“With all due respect, when did you get so high and mighty?” I rolled my eyes at him, but he simply continued: “You used to treat us respect, and now you talk to us like dogs.”

“Is this a universal thought?” I asked aloud to the entire assembly. “Or only Richards?”

“I think your young,” an elderly voice piped up in the far end of the room, and the forgotten Emerson raised himself from his seat to take a better look at me. “I said that from the beginning. Petyr was so determined to bring you in, however, he wouldn’t hear a word I had to say. Now, he’s gone… god bless his soul.” He closed his eyes slightly as he turned his gaze to the ghost of the man beside me. “This man is an imposter, love. I don’t think he should have any sayings to the running’s of this ship.”

“I agree,” Doctor Wong rejoined, though she looked uncomfortable doing it.

Richards chuckled to himself with pleasure as he voiced his own agreement aloud with the other two Elisium members. I turned my gaze to Petyr, and though his face was dead-pan with a single expression portrayed on his visage- it was his dark eyes that said it all. _They are trying to tear us apart,_ I realized, and felt my shoulders rounding defensively the longer I looked at him. “This isn’t a question,” I announced to the room. “He is a part of it, whether you like it or not.”

“So, your saying we have no say,” Doctor Wong rebutted with an anxious expression.

“No.”

“This is supposed to be a democracy.”

“It was.”

“Sansa!” she shrilled, like a mother who was upset with her child. For a second I feared she would reveal our little secret, but then decided there was no real advantage in revealing my pregnancy.

“That is all! This meeting is over.”

“Sansa!” she chided. I ignored her and stood out of my seat first with a look that dared anyone to speak up against the matter.

Petyr was the second to rise from his chair, desperately trying to mask the emotions that was running through him. I knew he was pleased, maybe even more than I had originally anticipated, for he rounded himself past Richards chair and then took a seat on the desk in front of me. “Thank you, Sansa,” he relayed with a grin that created indentations in the sides of his cheek.

“Your welcome,” I coldly replied, as I tried to hide the devious thoughts playing in the back of my mind as he widened his legs for me.

“I think we should celebrate.”

I cast my eyes at him with a look of warning and moved back when I saw him trying to outstretch his arm to touch me.

“I don’t know,” he muttered with a softening around his eyes. “Maybe have a drink or two?”

“Petyr.”

“It’s a big honour.”

I looked over his shoulder to see the council members watching us with interest. _They are curious,_ I realized, _as it dawned on me they had very few opportunities to see us together._

“Its just an idea?” he suggested, with a raised hand reaching towards me. I took it without a second thought and raised it upward until I let it rest on the side of my cheek. “San?”

“Yes, we can,” I promised him, and closed my eyes as I felt the heat of his hand warm my cold skin. _Its just him and I._ His hand outstretched underneath my fingers, letting it trail downward until it rested over my plump lips with curiosity. In that moment it was just him and I in the room, and it only faded away when I opened my eyes to see the council members still watching us. Petyr noticed the limpness of my hand and looked over his shoulder to see this sorry sight as well. “She said the meeting is over,” he bellowed in angry voice, and dropped his hand away from me so he could fully turn his body to the crowd.

“Its like he bewitched you,” Richards said with scorn, and pushed back his chair with a dramatic grinding against the glossy floor. “And I don’t like it,” he shot out, before he stomped out the room.

“Anyone else has something to say?” Petyr jeered. He slipped off the corner of the desk and took his place by my side with his hands over his hips. “Then say it now.”

No one else said a word, though there was a look of sympathy or scorn from a few members. I didn’t really care. Petyr had made me that way, just like the feelings he evoked when he pressed his warm lips against the side of my cheek. I watched the rest of them leave coldly, not really looking into their eyes as they left the room one by one. “Its just us now,” I heard him say, and only when his fingers lifted to touch the softness of my loose hair, did I return my gaze to him. “San?”

“I was too harsh with them.”

“No, you were good.”

“They _hate_ me.”

“San, you did well. Believe me.”

“I ignored everything they said, and now they will try to take us down.”

“Its just you and I,” he reminded me. “No one is going to take us down.”

“Pete.”

“You hear me? No- one,” he drawled out in a strong brogue.

I found my voice failing as I whined, “I didn’t handle it well.”

“You did it perfectly.” He turned my body to face him fully, before he crushed his lips against my own. I submitted instantly, finding the world around me falling as I went deeper into his arm. Soon enough, he lifted me in the air and slammed me against the table, and then spread my legs open wide for him.

“Are you trying to make me feel better?” I asked, as he came into my space.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he confessed. “But I just want to see you happy.”

“I am happy,” I replied with a weakened voice.

“Truly?”

“Pete, I’m afraid of what I’m becoming.”

“Something beautiful,” he promised me, while his hands rover down the sides of my cheek. “Something so… _fucking_ beautiful,” he cursed, and then fell against me with his lips firmly pressed to mine. I stroked the inside of my knee against his body, feeling instantly aroused as his lips practically devoured me whole. There was no hesitation to his movements, in seconds he was zipping down my uniform without ever having a single look in its direction. It was like he memorized my whole body; every shape and curve were imprinted into his mind and he used his hands to explore it at leisure. “San,” he said in idle worship, as I felt my hips bulking to let him in. “I want to have you now.”

“The door.”

“Right now,” he moaned into the side of my neck, completely disregarding everything I said. I felt his nails digging into my shoulders as he hoisted himself up, straddling me successfully with his legs on either side of my hips.

“The door, Pete!”

“Who gives a fuck if its open.”

“Petyr,” I scolded, knowing he would have me either way.

He unzipped his uniform quickly with trembling hands, very nearly aroused to the point that he had to get it off as quick as he could. “Kiss me, San,” he begged, once his chest was completely shown to me. I lifted my head up and kissed that awful scar, the scar that had so many stories to tell in this universe and many others. “You’re like a drug,” he kept repeating, as if he couldn’t believe this woman underneath himevoked all kinds of feelings. “A drug in my veins, and I can never- get- enough!” he growled, as he tore down the rest of his uniform and then flung the wretched thing away.

“Pete, the door,” I begged, since he was practically on his knees in front of me.

“No, I want them to see you. I want them to know that you belong to me.”

“They do.”

“I want them to know that you are mine to ravish- to control.” He swallowed hard in front of me, making his adam’s apple lop upwards and then fall back to place. “I want to hear you scream my name, to wear my mark, to belong to me- _only_ me.”

“I do,” I promised him with my hands outstretched to touch his heaving chest.

He looked behind him, and then crawled off me to close the meeting room door. I noticed he didn’t lock it behind him, so be it.

“You handled it perfectly, sweetling,” he assured me, as he made his way back to the desk. “You were strong and in command.”

“I was.”

“And you made everyone know that you are in _control._ ” He stopped in front of the desk with his hands on his hips, and even from a distance I could see the great bulge underneath his boxers. “I like that.”

“I’m sure you did.”

“I didn’t even have to say a word.”

“And I’m glad you didn’t,” I reassured him, as I bunched up my uniform over my waist and made every possible effort to pull it down completely.

“Let me,” he urged, and helped me to the edge of the desk, so he can strip the last of the cloth down my hips and past my legs. He stopped to wriggle off my boots, and I noticed how concentrated he was at the task. “I can’t stop thinking about you,” he confessed, after he removed the first boot.

“I’m always with you.”

“Not always,” he countered.

“Most of the time.”

“Three days, you know that?” He dropped the second boot on the floor and left them neatly beside one another. “Three days, and I’m going crazy over you,” he laughed to himself. Petyr lifted up his leg and settled the tip of his boot on the solid desk, as he began to untie his favourite, well-worn shoe.

“I was with Petyr for about four.”

“I remember.”

“You won’t go away, will you?”

“No, sweetling.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“It won’t.”

“Because-” He cut me off, by dropping his foot to the floor and smacking his lips against mine. Two hands rested at the back of my hand as he drew me in, kissing me with longing that left me practically breathless. “Okay,” I said in open submission, the second he drew his lips away. “I get it.”

“Just let me take off these boots,” he muttered. “And then I will give you extra reassurance.”

“We can always go upstairs, you know.”

“Oh, but this is more fun.” He grinned at me with an alarming darkness to his eyes as he added, “Besides, I have something else planned for us upstairs… and it involves those handcuffs.”

“Captain Ali is going to kill me.”

“Yes, he wasn’t at the meeting. Such a pity, I would have like to dangle it in front of him, for extra proof of what you did.”

“You truly are wicked,” I remarked, after he threw one of his boots behind him.

“So are you, sweetling.” He leapt on top of me and dragged me further up the long table, with hands tightly wound around me until we were fully at the center of it. “So very wicked to let me do this to you,” he moaned, before he thrust himself inside of me for the first time. The impact was hard, making me chock out with surprise, but he silenced me with his hand covering my lips. “Quiet, sweetling,” he warned, before he plowed into me again without a single remorse. I fell flat on the table with my hips angling upwards, and finding my entire body reacting to the thing that was steadily going inside of me. My hands shook desperately as I removed his hand from my face, and instantly planted my lips against this cold hearted man- the man I both coveted and craved like the very drug he claimed I was. “Quiet,” he warned, as I whimpered into his mouth.

“If you wanted me to be quiet, you should have locked the door,” I pointed out, in between his timely thrusts.

“That’s my girl,” he shot back with his tongue lingering over his bottom lip. I raised my hand and covered those luscious pink lips, delirious with his taste- that tongue that kept pecking through to lightly touch my hand. I found myself lost as I rubbed my hand against the tiny specks of hair coming out from the sides of his chin, relishing in the thought that he truly was a man to be loved and tormented by. _Six_ , a small voice said at the back of my mind and felt it odd that I should remember at a time like this. _No wonder he got me pregnant._

Petyr let out a hoarse growl as he pushed his way deeper, nails digging into my skin as he needed something to hold onto. I let out an elated scream, finding the throbbing inside of me mounting at an unexpected rate as Petyr dug his way through. “Fuck,” we said at the same time, and for some reason both of her hands reached at each side of the face to look at each other.

“Sansa,” Petyr breathed, but was at loss to say something else.

“Pete,” I answered him, and pulled his face in so I could devour him with my lips. He kept making love to me, never giving up not even for a single moment. I could die happily in his arms, and I’m pretty sure I was as my heart hammered out of my chest an alarming rate. “I’m going to…”

“Your almost there, I know,” he assured me, and slow down a little once he caught the frantic breathing escaping my lips. “You are so good, so beautiful,” he murmured. “Oh, Sansa,” he relayed, as he pushed his head into the side of my face. “I just need to be inside of you.”

“You are.”

“I know,” he relented, but it sounded like he didn’t believe it. He stroked his hand at the side of my hip, pressing it firmly in the spot where both of our bodies were connected to almost make sure of it. “I want it this way,” he admitted to himself, more than to me. “Always.”

“It will be.”

“I know,” he repeated, though his voice sounded so far off. I knew he spread his seed within me, that he was as far as it was humanly possible to go. Petyr knew it too, and I heard him grumble because of it. The room felt cold suddenly, now that we weren’t really moving around anymore. I told Petyr I felt this way, and he was eager to draw his arms all around me in an effort to keep me warm. “I wanted you on this table since we came in.”

“Hmmm.”

“I thought… this is a nice size.”

“I’m sure you did.”

“I kept picturing Richards reaction.”

“Petyr,” I scolded, and turned my head away from him. “You are absolutely terrible.”

“I am,” he answered me gleefully. “And that’s why you belong to me.”

“Why?”

“You’re terrible too.”

“No, I’m not.” Petyr squinted at me with relish, before he opened his mouth wide to kiss me at leisure. I loved him so much, it almost felt like my heart would break because of it. _This must be true love,_ I thought, and was thankful that destiny at least would pull us together.

Petyr shifted himself inside of me, probably sensing it was about time to come out. “I’m going to get it everywhere,” he complained, realizing everything would ultimately spill out once he came out of me completely.

“We can use your stained uniform to clean it up.”

“Nice,” he gibed, once he held his half-swollen cock in his hands. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea.”

“Good!” I shouted, before I used it to clean up my mess. “If this isn’t the most disgusting thing, I don’t know what is? I can’t let you go out this room with a shirt drenched in your sperm and my…”

“Just say it.”

“No,” I told him, before I threw the dirty uniform in Petyr’s direction. “You and your filthy mind.”

“I’ll wear it proudly.”

“No, you won’t.”

“I won’t,” he laughed with his hand partially covering his face. “Alright, go upstairs and get my something descent to change in.”

“You better be wearing your boxers by the time I come back.”

“I will.”

“And I better not see Pam or Mariam, or whoever wants a piece of that cock.”

“It belongs to you,” he simpered, with a slight bend of his handsome head.

“Is this a joke?” I asked of him, as I forced my feet through the small hole of my uniform.

“No, it’s the honest truth.”

“The honest truth?” I chuckled out with disbelief.

“You can write your name on it, if you’d like.”

“This cock hereby belongs to Sansa Stark,” I drawled out, as I zipped up the last of my uniform.

“Can have it tattooed and everything.”

“The whole works,” I laughed, and then wrung my arms around the back of his neck to pull him in. “When we go upstairs, I expect to have a taste.”

“You can have the whole thing right now, sweetling.”

“Not yet.”

“Hmph.”

“I want to be somewhere where I don’t have to worry about the mess.” I let him go, and leisurely walked my way to the door while tightening my gun strap around my waist. “Clean up the mess on the desk, will you?”

“I don’t know. I might leave it,” he taunted, as he threw his soiled uniform over his well-toned shoulder blade.

“You better not.”

“Sansa Stark, you are going to be the death of me.”

“Goes both ways, Pete.”

“But I’ll be sure I’m nice and ready for you, for this evening,” he said with a widened smirk, and held his hand just over his crotch for extra meeting. He saw my embarrassed look and shot me a flirtatious wink before I opened the unlocked door and left him to think over what he just did.

 

 


	18. A Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa finds out some haunting things about Petyr's past, but it could sever their relationship entirely if they're not careful.

Petyr was hot on my tail the minute I barged into our room, so I had to turn around and place a gentle finger over his lips. “Quiet,” I whispered with a look of warning, before I motioned him to shut the door. He looked in a state of alarm, as he slowly closed the front door, ultimately taking out the last of the light that was coming from the hallway. “Mockingbird,” I bellowed out, and waited a few seconds before the lights flickered across the room.

“What happens if you didn’t say the password?” Petyr asked me with a look of interest.

I let my eyes gaze all over the ceiling, paying specific attention to the four corners of the living room. “A silent alarm would trip.”

“He was paranoid?” Petyr walked past me with the same cautious air as myself. “ _Your_ Petyr?”

“Not as much as you.”

“Hmph.” He scratched the back of his head tiredly, letting his thick hair uncurl between his fingers in a playful manner. _I almost want to stroke my hands through_ _it._ “Something on your mind?” he asked, noticing how hard I was staring at him.

“No,” I quipped, and averted my gaze away quickly. “Just let me know if you see any security cameras around.”

“I think I would have noticed it.”

“Not if their hidden,” I said with annoyance, and then strode over to the other side of the room to press on the communication device. I pressed down the four digits for the security sector, and then left it on speaker phone as it started to buzz. “Hello, this is Sansa Stark,” I announced with a confident air. “I understand there our security cameras in my room.”

“Yes, the late Lord Baelish wanted them installed, for security reasons of course,” a peppy voice quickly replied back.

“Well _I_ don’t.” There was a presence behind me, and I immediately looked over my shoulder to see Petyr with a prideful smug.

“I’m sorry, Miss. Stark, but-”

“- this isn’t a conversation,” I cut in. “I’m telling you to turn it off.”

“I’m afraid we can’t.”

I tilted my head with annoyance, as I heard Petyr darkly chuckling behind me. “What is your name?” I grumbled into the speakers.

“Tilton.”

“Well, Tilton, you had better tell me where the cameras are, or you’ll see something you won’t like.”

“Yeah!” Petyr yelled out. “Like me fucking her!”

There was silence coming from Tilton’s end, and then soft whispering echoing from his end of the speaker as he was undoubtedly relating the information to his peers. “Miss. Sansa, I will see what I can do.”

“Good,” I sharply replied. “I only want privacy.”

“That is understandable,” he relayed in an agreeable voice. “And considering that the _late_ Petyr is no longer with us-”

“- this has nothing to do with the late Petyr,” I grumbled, and finally understood why this man behind me grew tired of people comparing him to the other one. “I just want it off.”

“There is one on a desk… ummm… believe it is right next to the couch. You won’t miss it, since its pointing towards the front door.”

“To see the intruder,” I relayed with understanding, and then motioned Petyr to look over the area. “What does it look like?”

“Small and round,” he uttered with boredom. “Should be white, and just a little bit bigger than a marble.”

“How quaint.”

“There is one near the kitchen too. From what I see here, it can show the entranceway from the kitchen to Petyr’s office space.”

“Is there one in the office.”

“Oddly enough, no. I believe he wanted it to be installed, but I guess we never got that far.”

“Was I always being watched?” I grunted, after Petyr dropped the small camera into the palm of my hand. “And overheard?”

“It will be on record, but no Miss. Stark we don’t sit around watching you all day.”

“Thank you for your sarcasm.”

“My pleasure,” he quipped, and then I could almost hear the faintest of laughter. “I can send a request to Captain Ali to delete the files, if you’d like.”

“Unless you want to watch porn than I suggest you do,” I shot back, as I watched Petyr going up the stairs to investigate the kitchen area. “Yes, send him a request.”

“I think you should know we had to inform Captain Ali about… the little incident earlier.”

“Oh, which one?” I asked, as I brought the small white camera to eye level.

There was a deliberate pause, probably taking in the fact that I was staring the poor camera down as I held it between the tips of my fingers. “You breaking and entering the investigation room with an armed weapon,” Tilton dryly replied.

“Oh, that one.”

“Yes,” he drawled out, and I could detect a hint of annoyance in his voice. “He will contact you soon.”

“Just make sure it’s in the morning.” I tossed the small camera up and down as I leaned my back against the wall. “I have plans.”

“Yes, I imagine so,” Tilton drawled in an even lower voice. “And I’m sure he has it too.”

A wicked grin spread across my face, and the timing was absolutely perfect, for Petyr wore the same as he descended the steps with the newly acquired camera in his hand. “He does!” Petyr yelled out, after he rubbed his shoulders against me when passing me by. “You said you can’t switch these things off?”

“No.”

“That’s terrible,” he said with pure mockery. “Enjoy the last few moments of watching us then,” he added, before he slammed his finger on the off button. “Sansa, hand me your gun.”

“You can’t shoot it.”

He held out his hand with a cheeky look, the kind that made me withdraw my weapon without even thinking it through. “What are you-”

_Bang._ Petyr lifted the hilt of the gun off the wall to see the camera was successfully smashed. “I did tell you I wouldn’t shoot it,” he gibed, before he reached out his hand to silently ask for the second security camera. “Diego apparently had fun watching us,” he said with his back to me. There was a pause as he laid the circular object against the wall with careful precision. “I told him he should have put one in the bedroom, then that would have been the real fun.” _Bang._ “He asked me what I thought of your pretty little cunt… I marked his face good after that one.” _Bang._ “I can’t remember what you said you were going to do with him.”

“Send him away,” I replied in a lower voice. “He is being sent in one of the escape pods to the planet surface. He won’t be able to come back.”

“What if he directs the pods to somewhere else?”

“Then he will die in deep space,” I answered back with a grin. “This is the closest planet he will see in a very long while.”

“I broke his nose, but I don’t think that was enough.”

“Maybe not.” I opened my hand to receive the flattened cameras, and then brought it to my eye level to make sure it was crushed for good. “But he was afraid of that place down there, so maybe that is enough revenge.”

“There’s never enough revenge.”

“Maybe.”

I walked away from him and tossed the small white objects into the trash bin. “Should we order in?” I inquired, as I tiredly walked up the stairs.

“You don’t want to sit with your friends?”

“I have no friends,” I uttered out with exhaustion, and felt a gap in my holster as I let my hand dragged down the right side of my body. “Petyr, my gun?”

“When do I get one?”

“When you’re a good boy,” I teased, but he seemed unsatisfied with my answer.

He walked towards me slowly, and only when he got to the first step did, he raise his arm upward with the hand tightly netted around the gun. “When do I get one?” he repeated with a severe tone to his voice.

“Why do you want one?”

“Same reason as you… protection.”

“You can protect yourself,” I reminded him. “First Jon and now Diego, people will start to wonder if you are able to be defeated at all.”

“I can be,” he quietly replied, before he placed the gun in my hand. “Everyone has a weakness.”

_Yes, but what is yours?_

Petyr’s eyes were fixated to my weapon as I slid it back into the holster, and I noticed how the tips of his fingers quivered as if he was aching to touch it again. “You know how to use that thing?”

“Yes.”

“Are you well versed with weapons?”

“No, not really.” I noticed the small dent in his cheek from smiling as he stepped over the second step. “Are you?”

He was on the same level as me when he turned his whole body in my direction and leaned uncomfortably close to my frame. “Am I?” he jeered, and let his grin go wider before he walked away.

_I really have too watch out for him._

I followed his footsteps slowly, and only stopped when he was in front of the kitchen, bending his handsome head into the fridge in search of something to eat. “Nothing here.”

“I can call someone to send us food.”

“I thought you were against that.”

I shrugged my shoulders at him once he tilted his head in my direction. “I changed my mind.”

Petyr turned his head back to the empty fridge, but unfortunately for him the bright white light illuminated his smirk even more. “Maybe you should call,” he drawled low, while his eyes pretended to focus on the clear white shelves inside of the fridge.

I arched my eyebrow at him, and then turned around to make another call into the room’s communication device system. _I didn’t ask him what he wanted to eat,_ I realized, as I dialed into the phone. _He looked like he was up to something back there too._ My instincts were probably right, but right now I had to focus on ordering some food that would whet his appetite.

I found him in the back of Petyr’s office, leaning against the table with two small glasses pressed between his fingers and thumb. A clear bottle of whiskey was held in the other, and I couldn’t deny there was a certain darkness to his eyes. “Time to celebrate,” he uttered in a raspy voice, with a slight raise of his head. “To making me the newest member of Elisium’s Council.” He laid the glasses down on the table next to his side and waited for me to come close before he continued. “And for taking me out of that investigation room,” he hushed, as he watched me from the corner of his eye. “With that gun of yours.”

“I’d say your more interested in the gun than me.”

Petyr uncorked the bottle and gave me a look that I didn’t quite understand before he poured a small glass for me.

“I’m not a whiskey drinker,” I cut in, before he could add anymore. “More wine.”

“Its more refined,” he concluded. “More to your taste.”

“Sure.”

“But _your_ Petyr liked this whiskey, so I suggest we drink it.” I watched him pour an amble amount into his own cup; Petyr knocked it against mine with a particular expression that could only be described as amusement. “To us,” he muttered, before he pressed the clear glass against his slick wet lips. He gulped it down heavily, only leaving a small amount at the bottom before he went in for more.

“You drank that quickly.”

“Mother’s milk,” he muttered under his breath. His eyes scanned up quickly to catch my visage, and only then did his dimples grow dark from the large smug he wore. “You obviously don’t know the Irish,” he uttered in a roguish brogue. “But I understand you are a part Irish, judging by this shade.”

“My mother was half Irish.” Petyr took his time stroking his hand upward in my hair, catching the glint and shine of it as he brought it closer to the light. “So that makes me quarter.”

“Hmmm.”

“What about you?”

“Me dad and ma were Irish,” he said in a joking tone of voice, while his eyes sparkly widely in the bright lights.

“I’m Canadian,” I told him. “It is all silly really, since the Earth no longer exists. I guess it’s the only thing we can hold on too, really, our nationality. My dad’s family is from Canada, so I guess that’s why I’m used to the cold. My mother is mixed with Irish and English, a bit of Scot too.”

Petyr nodded his head lightly, and then let the cup press against his lips as he drank some more dark auburn coloured whiskey. “Its best with no ice,” he told me, and then reached over for the bottle again.

“Shouldn’t you slow down?”

“Why?”

“You haven’t even eaten yet.”

“I can handle it.” He patted his pocket for his smoking device, and then pulled it out with a wicked grin. “I have to remember to ask Mar for more,” he grumbled, as he uncorked the nozzle and pressed it between his lips. “The smell doesn’t bother you?”

“It hardly has a smell.”

“Just the way I like it,” he replied, before he sat on the table more with his legs dangling in the air. With him looking so peacefully, I decided to take a sip of the strong liquor. It felt like it burned my tongue instantly, and it felt worse as it went down my throat. “You’ll get used to it.”

“You keep saying that,” I complained, as I tried to stifle a cough.

“Because we all do,” he contemplated aloud, and handed me the smoking mechanism for me to try.

I swiped it from his hand with an indignant air and held it in between my hands with a peak of curiosity. “Do you like to be dependant on it?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“Or you think it makes you look enigmatic?”

“What?”

I took another sip of the whiskey and instantly made a face, which brought a small chuckle from his face. “Mysterious.”

“You like that? This… mysterious air about me?”

“Maybe I do.”

He lifted his hand to place it over mine, and then directed it upward till the nozzle with nearly in front of my lips. “I see you in the same light,” he uttered in a low voice. “Mysterious.”

“I thought I was like an open book.”

“No,” he droned, with a strange glimmer in his eyes. “That’s just what you want them to think.” He hovered the nozzle just over my lip and nodded his head slightly for me to try. “That’s it,” he hushed, and let his free hand rest on my shoulder in a soothing manner. “It won’t hurt.”

I took a small inhale, feeling it barely had any taste as it entered my mouth. A small puff of black smoke slowly released from my open mouth, and I made sure it brushed across Petyr’s face in a teasing manner.

“Try it again,” he whispered, as he hovered his face closer to mine.

“You know, sometimes I see two people in you.”

“Oh?”

“There is a sweet side of you.” I turned my head away from him, as I took another inhale of his smoke. “And then there is another side.”

“That you do not like,” he observed, after he rested both of his hands on the sides of my shoulder.

“I don’t know what to think,” I breathed out with a cloud of smoke. Petyr took the nozzle from my hands and rotated the device around till it was directed to him again. “Or what to do…” He rested it over his lips, and I noticed there was a darkness to his eyes that rivaled the smoke around us.

“Think of me…” Petyr paused to let the nozzle slide in deeper into his mouth. “Like a coin.”

“What?”

He took a deep inhale with his cheeks sucking in; all the while he watched me as I slid further onto the desk to get in a more comfortable position. “A coin,” he repeated with a burst of tar black smoke filling the air around us. “I have two sides! There is the one you want to see, and the other that I keep hidden.”

“Even from me?”

“Especially from you,” he taunted, before he handed me the smoker again. “But you see right through me, don’t you?”

“I’m not sure.”

“See behind the cracks,” he muttered, and stretched his hand out to snatch at the whiskey bottle again. The sound of liquid splashing against the side of the glass could be heard, and then the low thud as he set the bottle down right in front of me. “But that is only because you have one too.”

“That mask you keep talking about.”

“That fine, well-developed mask,” he jeered with a lop-sided grin. “But I see right through it. Always have!”

“And what do you see?”

“Desire. Power, longing for control and _revenge_ … yes, I see that too. You never could get over your hatred for Jane.” He smiled over his half-filled glass as he caught the betrayal hidden behind my eyes. “You blame her for your loss, so be it.”

“It was her-”

“- fault,” he interjected. “You do realize going after Jane won’t solve the problem.”

“What problem?”

“Bringing _your_ Petyr back,” he said with respite, before he took a large gulp of the dark brown substance.

“It will make me feel better about it.”

“Your better off starting over,” he shot back, and reached over for the bottle again.

“Petyr, that’s enough,” I chided, and quickly grabbed the bottle before he could reach it. “Eat something first.”

“I can handle it.”

“Your having it to fast.”

He grunted at me, and then snatched his smoker from my other hand. He looked sullen as he took small puffs, averting his eyes to the far end of the room as he pondered over something in his mind. “I could have that whole bottle if I wanted too.”

“I believe it.”

He crossed his eyes at me, and then took another long puff from his nozzle. “You think I’m drunk?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

He turned his head to the side, letting out a long stream of smoke into the farthest corner of the room with barely closed lips. “You will _know_ when I’m drunk.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been drunk.”

“Really?” he asked with interest.

“Maybe once.”

“What did you do?”

“I danced with a man who was ugly as shit,” I laughed. “And he was so drunk, he could hardly dance. That was the end of it.”

“The end of what?”

“Getting drunk.”

“Maybe you got drunk with the wrong man,” he suggested, and pushed my cup closer to my thigh with a purposeful look.

“Give me your glass,” I threatened, and ignored his most pleased look as I filled his drink almost to the rim. “To us,” I grievously said, before we clanged our glasses together.

“To our new partnership.” He payed more attention to me while drinking, than the alcohol going down his throat. Petyr’s tongue darted out to lick the bottom of his lip, letting it linger for longer then needed as he watched me with a certain look in his eyes. “May it pay fruitful.”

“You speak of it as a business transaction.”

“I am a business man.”

“A smuggler.”

He looked down at the empty glass with a disheartened look. “Yes, but even before that.

“What were you before that?”

Petyr set the glass down on the table, noting how empty the bottle was next to his knee. He smiled, but it was almost sad like. “I was many things, Sansa,” he droned, and then let his body slide down the table till he set himself to his feet. “But that is a tale for another time.” He held out his hand in front of me once he locked his eyes with mine. “Come, our food should nearly be here.”

We walked hand and hand though the office room and kitchen, and I noticed how steady his feet still were despite of his heavy drinking. He led me to the couch, and after he saw that I was fully seated did he take his place by my side. Petyr rested his hand over my thigh, while his gaze was most attentive to my side profile as if it held something of interest. “Petyr?” I asked, and then he caught the tip of my chin and directed it in his direction. “What is it?”

He shrugged the right side of his shoulder before he leaned in to kiss me deeply, letting his hand rest over the side of my face to keep there for a moment longer. _His lips taste like whiskey,_ I noted, and couldn’t help but lick my own lips after he was done. “I have a gift for you later. Its right here in my pocket.”

“Is it jewels?” I taunted, knowing he was the kind of man to spoil me.

“Its some string,” he quipped. “And handcuffs.”

“Those aren’t gifts.”

“No, they’re not,” he darkly replied, and had to turn his head away to hide the emotions portrayed in his silvery black eyes.

“Did you ever do that with Ross?”

“I did a lot of things with Ross,” he replied with disinterest, while his finger waved up and down my upper thigh.

“How long have you been with her?”

“Intimately?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I’m not sure. I’m forty-one now, aren’t I?” Petyr scratched his lower chin, obviously contemplating the matter. “Its been four years.”

“Four?”

“Yes, once I was fully established.” He paused, noticing the look of curiosity spreading across my face. “I bought a nice little bungalow and decided I would stick with one bed warmer for the time being. Now, she lives with me and the situation suits us perfectly well.”

“It sounds like- like…”

“Like we are in a relationship?” He noticed how I slowly nodded my head with downcast eyes. “I told you, sweetling, I’ve never been in one before. We work together and then sleep together, but that’s all.”

“That’s all,” I repeated with disingenuity.

“That’s all,” he stated, after he noticed I was slowly moving away from him.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“In your galaxy, maybe, but not mine.” There was a knock on the door, and Petyr was prompt to get up and open the front door. He gave the waiter a small thanks, before he came back to the couch with two trays sealed with a plastic cover. “So, what did you order for me?”

“You’ll see.”

“You’re angry with me,” he observed, after he took his seat next to me. “I can hear it in your voice.”

“I’m not angry.”

“No?” he asked with disbelief. “Here is your tray, sweetling, did you get the same thing as me?”

“You’ll see.”

“That is your favourite phrase of the day,” he observed, before he lifted the plastic covering like a curious child. “Steak? How do they managed to make steak on this ship?”

“Don’t ask, just eat it,” I taunted, as I revealed to him that we had the exact same meal. “I hope you like mashed potatoes.”

“I’m Irish, all we eat is potatoes.” He heard me laughing and took it as a good sign to dig into his meal. Petyr was content, probably happy he had a good meal after three whole glasses of whiskey just sitting in his stomach. He got up eventually to retrieve some more from the kitchen, placing my own cup on the table with a wicked look in his eyes. _I wonder what would happen if I told him I was pregnant,_ I thought, after he poured me another glass. _He would probably have a fit._

“You don’t want any,” he noticed, after I eyed the half-filled cup for too long.

“Not really.”

“I was hoping to get you drunk,” he said with sudden frankness. “It looks like it won’t happen tonight.”

“No, it won’t.”

He grunted, before he motioned me to hand over the cup. “Guess I’ll have it,” he laughed, and then drained the cup like there was no tomorrow. “Goes well with the food, eh.”

I nodded my head absentmindedly as I muttered, “Its delicious.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

_I shouldn’t be keeping secrets from him._

“Sansa?”

_But he’ll be so upset with me._

“All that time,” I blurted out. “And you never got Ross pregnant?”

“That’s what’s bothering you,” he laughed. “No, I made her take some meds. I should get her to give some to you too.”

“No, its alright,” I said non-chantilly. “Doctor Wong already gave me something.”

“Oh, that’s great.”

“Yeah.” I pushed the mashed potatoes around with my fork, wondering if I just made a bigger hole for myself. “Do you have kids?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“Been too busy,” he considered aloud. “Its only recently that I’ve been settled down, or at least I try too.”

“You said you retired from boxing at twenty-five?”

“Yeah,” he said with a sharp glance in my direction.

“And now your forty-one?”

“Yes,” he droned, with his head now tilted down to his chest.

“So, what did you do during all that time?”

“Oh, you know…” Petyr scrapped his mash potatoes around in a similar way, with every determination to not make eye contact with me. “… been here and there.”

“Is it something you don’t want to tell me?”

“Not right now,” he honestly replied.

“Okay.” I lifted my empty tray off my lap and decided it was best to drop the subject matter entirely. “You want me to take your glass?”

“Its actually yours,” he sheepishly replied, but handed it to me anyways. “I still have mine to finish.”

“Your one of a kind, Pete.”

“So, are you,” he taunted, as he raised his glass at me. I left him with a certain heaviness to my heart, feeling uncertain about everything at that moment. I decided to linger in the kitchen for longer than usual, washing up the dishes and wiping down the countertops till it sparkled in the bright fluorescent lights. I shut the lights off behind me, and slowly walked down the stairs to see Petyr was still finishing off the last of his meal. “You were gone long,” he observed quietly, with a look of concern. “It doesn’t bother you, does it? Me not telling you about my past.”

“Its alright, Pete.”

“It has a lot of people involved. Sort of private business, you know. If any of the information could fall into the wrong hands…” Petyr darted his eyes away as he rubbed the palms of his hands together. “Its better that you don’t know.”

“Is it so bad?”

“No,” he quickly replied. “I just… I’m sort of a…”

“Pete?” I questioned, after he rose to his feet with the empty tray in hand.

“I’m going to wash up,” he softly replied, and left me with a false smile that did not match his eyes.

_Sort of a… the unknown answer hung in the silence, a mystery that left me wanting more. But don’t I have enough stuff to worry about? I have a child that he doesn’t want, and I am too afraid to tell him._

I fidgeted with my hands, wondering what he would do if I told him the truth. _Would he make me take the same medication as Ross? Would he tell me to get rid of the child? Will he let me have it, but have nothing to do with it? Why couldn’t it have been the old Petyr’s child, it would have all been so much easier?_

“To the stars and back,” echoed in the back of my head, which made me shut my eyes to prevent any tears from shedding. _Oh, if only he was here with me instead._ I rotated the golden ring around my finger, staring at the rubious jewel reflecting the light overhead, catching the glimmer that reminded me of him. _I would have been his wife by now,_ I mused, _and felt sad at the very thought of it._

“There is a funny story about that ring.” I looked up to see Petyr had quietly snuck up behind the couch, and now that I spotted him, he casually rested his elbows on the back of the couch. “My dad gave it to me on his last day,” he spoke aloud, as he held his identical ring near my face. “When we were young and had nothing, he would refuse to sell the ring. Me ma left us, but he wouldn’t sell the wedding ring- not a single soul could separate it from him. I never understood why, but when he gave it to me, knowing he was passing on, I knew I would hold it as my most valuable treasure.” Petyr reached for my hand and held it in his own, studying the ring that glimmered over my finger. “It meant a lot to him to give you that, Sansa,” he hushed into the silent room. “Maybe more than you’ll ever know.”

“He never told me where it was from.”

“You never had enough time,” he said with understanding. “But I’m telling you, if he is anything like me it meant a lot.”

“Thank you, Pete,” I murmured, and kissed the back of his hand. He seemed grateful by this small gesture, and soon the scent of malt liquor lingered in the air as he let his lips hover over the side of my cheek. He kissed it gently, and then let his face brush against the side of my hair for a moment as if he was inhaling the scent. Without thinking I rested my hand over the side of his face, pressing it down till I felt his lips invade my loose hair. “And the only thing you’ll give me is stolen handcuffs.”

“You’ll like it,” he persisted, before I felt him nipping softly on the tip of my ear. “And then you’ll want to use it again.”

“That isn’t very likely.”

“Then you obviously don’t know me,” he said in a husky voice, with a hint of warning. The air felt cold once he suddenly left my side, and I turned around the couch to see he was leaving the room.

“Petyr?” I called out, as I watched him hop over the three steps and then briskly walk out the room. _Does he want me to follow him,_ I wondered, _or is he getting something?_

_He’s in a mood,_ I noted, _but when is he not?_

“Shit,” I cursed, and slid off the couch to go after him. He was a pain in the ass sometimes, but he somehow got me to go all the way into the bedroom to look for him. “What are you doing?” I asked, when I found him in the bathroom searching through a cardboard box I had not seen before.

“A gift from Ross and Oberyen,” he pointed out, while his hand was buried inside of the box. “I forgot about it till now.”

“What is it?”

“Oh, you know,” he said with sudden glee. “Things to make it more exciting.”

“I thought it was exciting enough,” I remarked, after I stood next to him. I could see us in the bathroom mirror, our reflection showing how truly alike we were. The same white uniform with the silver mockingbird sigil stitched to the right side of our chest. We were practically the same height, except I was a few inches taller than him. Petyr made it up by being larger than me, with a broad chest and muscular arms that showed the past he was still unwilling to tell. “You need a bath first?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ross brought us some bath soaps and shampoos. I like your shampoo though, don’t change it.” He shuffled his hands through the box and pulled out a small clear tube. “Oils for later,” he noted with a bit of a smirk. “I want to rub this over every inch of your body.”

“Every inch.”

“Every,” he said from the corner of his mouth, which sent a shiver down my spine. “Now that I think about it, maybe you should take a bath.”

“Alright,” I said with defeat, and went over to the tap to start running the water. “You won’t get bored, will you?”

“No,” he assured me, as he walked over to my side, and poured out a clear fluid that smelt like fresh lavender on a warm summer’s day. “I’ll be here to keep you company.”

“Oh?” I said with brightened cheeks, which grew worse when he began to unzip his uniform in front of me. “This is new.”

“Very.” He turned his head to the bathtub to watch the white bubbles form, as he unzipped his uniform to the very bottom. The freshly ironed outfit was soon crumbled up into ball and tossed into the corner of the room as he stood beside me in his boxers. He stood there with his hands over his hips, looking larger than humanly possible as he watched me swirl around the bubbles in the rising water. “There is something about you…”

“Oh?” I purred, while I cupped soapy water in the palm of my hand. Petyr didn’t answer me, so I turned over my shoulder to catch a curious look in his eyes. “Petyr, what is it?”

“Nothing,” he said in a low, grating voice. Petyr turned around to lift up his cardboard box, and cart it off somewhere in our bedroom.

_What was that all about?_ Since he was gone, I unzipped my uniform as well, folding it neatly over a small white stool where a fresh set of towels were set. I was just pulling down my panties when I sensed his presence behind me.

“Your ready?” he asked, with his voice bouncing off all four corners of the bathroom. I flung my dirty laundry in my waist basket, and then tossed out my hair to let it flow elegantly down my back before I turned around to face him. Petyr smirked at me, probably noticing the marks he had left on my body over the past few days. “I guess I should be gentle with you tonight.”

“You have no idea how embarrassing it was to explain it to Wong,” I teased with crossed arms over my chest.

“I’m sure she is rolling around in bed right now, wishing it was her.” He took a small step forward, with his eyes intently on mine. “Just like Ross and Mariam, and everyone other woman that gives me the eye.” He stood directly in front of me now with an ardent look of desire. “But I want it to be only with you.” He let his hand graze over my arms softly, and then took a small step forward to be in my space. “And it might just be that way for some time.”

“Like a commitment,” I jeered.

“That is exactly what I meant.”

“So, I’m your new Ross?”

“No, sweetling.” He used his hand to pull me in closer, making our chests nearly touching. “More than she will ever be too me.”

“So… what are you saying?” I asked with skepticism, unsure of the depth of feeling that was portrayed in his eyes.

“Its just you and I now.” He leaned his head forward, and then waited for me to seal our fate. He wants it to be more than just sex, _I pondered_ , but what is this relationship now?

“Pete?” I spoke up and laid the tips of my fingers against the left side of his chest. “What are we?”

He puckered his lips, tilting his head to his side till all I could see was his side profile. “What do you want us to be?” he cleverly asked.

“In a relationship.”

“Okay, that’s what will be.”

“With no one else,” I sternly added, once I realized he might still want Oberyen and Ross in the mix.

“Alright, sweetling.”

“So, you’re my boyfriend I guess.” He didn’t look pleased by this exclamation, almost taking a step back after I uttered those words. He blinked quickly, as a kind of panic set over him. “You really don’t like commitment, do you?”

“No.”

“I didn’t say husband and wife,” I taunted, though I was saddened by this realization. Petyr suddenly left my side to turn off the tap, realizing the water was nearly overflowing in the tub. “I just needed to know what this is,” I explained, after I laid a hand over his shoulder where his tattoo was. “I don’t want something casual.”

“No, that’s not your kind of thing.” Petyr rose himself till his back was perfectly straight, and then let his light grey-green eyes fall over me. “Let’s just say were committed. I don’t want a title.”

“That’s alright.” Petyr nodded his head slightly, and then let it flicker to the nearly filled tub. “I guess we should get in.”

“Give me a moment,” he softly replied, and took a step back to remove his boxers. For once in his life it wasn’t hardened, and I felt somewhat confused by that fact. _Could the word commitment really turn him off,_ I wondered, and then tilted my head to the bathroom tub to hide my embarrassment and shame. “How is the temperature?”

“Fine,” I said in a groggy voice, and dipped my body deeper inside the tub to cover myself completely.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Petyr stepped in behind me, and then went down into the tub until his legs were on either side of my body. I felt Petyr press himself against me, but it was ever so gentle. “I upset you.”

“Its fine.”

“No… its not.”

“I don’t want to ruin this moment, so let’s just drop it. Okay?”

Petyr remained silent, but I saw him reach over me to take out a fluffy sponge brush and dip it in the water till it was completely soaked. He poured the lavender and vanilla scented shower gel into the sponge and then lathered it over my back in a soft and gentle manner. A silence fell over the bathroom walls, and the only thing I could hear was the tiny bursts of bubbles. Petyr payed attention to the back of my neck, trying to keep the soapy suds away from my hair before he moved on to my shoulders. I felt a soft kiss on the side of my cheek; a harder pressure at the front of my forearm as he pressed himself closer to my body. I jolted when I felt the sudden hardening of his cock; the scent of whiskey intoxicating the air. I bit down on my lip, startled by the harshness of his rubbing and the way he leaned his chest forward till it was resting on my back. “You smell good, sweetling,” he roguishly said.

“You can thank Ross.”

“It smells better on you than her.” I turned my head to him with a look of jealousy, but it quickly dissipated once I noticed the blackness to his eyes. I swallowed hard and then forced my gaze away, caught off guard by the crazed madness revealed in those small windows of his soul. Petyr, being Petyr, focused his attention on my breasts, lathering the sponge between the valley while his lips pursued the length of my shoulder and collarbone. He never gave it a moment’s rest, and I felt his body curl into me harder than ever before once he dropped the sponge entirely. “I think you should do it.”

“Do what?”

“Clean yourself,” he replied in a raspy voice. I dug my hand into the deep pool of water and was just about to clench the soapy sponge when I felt his hands arrest the front of my breasts. “I have other things to do,” he told me, as he let his thumbs stroke the very bottom to work his way upwards.

_This won’t end well._ I splashed the water dramatically as I plunged my hand into the water again, and then focused on scrubbing the front of my stomach as he worked his hands through me. I would be lying if I didn’t admit I was instantly aroused: his mouth was covering the front half of my body, while his fingers squeezed and toyed with my ever so hard peaks. I made a small mew, and then tried to purse my lips to prevent any sound from escaping me further. A sudden heat crossed the side of my neck, as Petyr’s slick wet tongue lathered my skin in a delirious manner. I leaned my neck against his mouth further, only satisfied when he pressed the top set of his teeth into my neck. _What is he doing to me?_ Petyr let his hands rover further down, and then let it curl around my waist to bring me closer to his frame.

“I think I’m done bathing.”

He answered me with a taunt kiss on my cheek, letting it linger there for a few moments before he pulled his head away. “Good.”

* * *

“Petyr,” I huskly breathed, as he almost twirled me around the center of his room with his lips all over me. The towel that was once around me fell to the floor, and we stumbled around in the darkened room with our lips anxiously touching one another. I felt a strong hand on my arm, leading me forward to god’s know where as he kissed me right on the narrow crevice of my jawline and neckline. _He knows its sensitive,_ I thought, as I let out a pleasant moan. I banged into something behind me, a wall perhaps, and then I felt Petyr feeling the surface behind me. “What is it?”

“Nothing, sweetling,” he said with a voice filled with suspicion, and then I heard a small chink behind me. “Come to my side for a moment.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you trust me?” he asked but yanked me to his side anyways. His arm wrapped around the side of my waist and led me into an even darker area of the room before I felt a series of soft clothes brushing against my naked form. I let my hand travel down one of them and recognized the fabric instantly. I was just about to say something when Petyr caught one of my wrists and linked it inside of a silver chain. _The handcuffs!_

“Pete, what are you doing?”

“Giving you a reward.” He took my other hand and kissed it softly before he linked it with another loop of the handcuff.

“Where are we?”

“Where do you think, sweetling?”

“In- in,” I stammered out, hardly believing what I was about to say. “My closet?”

“Yes, I had to shut the mechanics down,” he drawled out in a care free manner. “I couldn’t have it open and close for us every few seconds.”

“Petyr,” I stammered out with worry. “What are you doing?”

“Relax.” I heard him pushing back the line of clothes on either side of me. “Don’t you trust me?”

“No!”

“The railings are perfect size for your height.”

“I can’t believe…”

“Yes, I thought this through.” I felt his presence leave me slightly, and then a small light illuminated the room from a small flashlight he held in his hand. “Planned it out as well,” he joked, as he waved the small device in front of my face. “All packed with the needed necessities.”

“Like what?”

“I was going to add the oils on you first, but I’ve changed my mind.”

“Petyr,” I said with worry, once I realized there was box set up behind my feet. I recognized it instantly and hated the sight of him bending down in search of something. _He would be the perfect psychopath,_ I thought, as I caught his smirk. _I only hope he doesn’t kill me._

“There is nothing to worry about, Sansa, you are in safe hands.”

“I can’t… I don’t…”

“Trust, Sansa,” he chided, as he rose himself to his feet with two small items in his hands. “We need trust for this to work.”

“You try being handcuffed in your own closet.”

“Its Petyr’s closet,” he reminded me. “And if I am anything like _your_ Petyr, then you know I mean you no harm.”

“My Petyr wouldn’t do this!” I shot back, unintentionally rattling the handcuffs against the metal railing. “This wouldn’t even enter his mind.”

“Then maybe I should release you,” he uttered with the side of his face illuminated by the flashlight. “If that’s what you really want.”

“I’m just scared, that’s all.”

“Your allowed to be scared,” he pursed. “But not with me.”

Petyr had let the small items rest in the nook of his arm as he took a step forward, letting the light drop down low so it wouldn’t reveal any of our faces. “What if I still am?”

“Then this won’t work.”

I swallowed hard, and then wiped the side of my damp face across the harsh bone of my shoulder blade. _I must be losing my mind,_ _if I let him do this to me._ “What’s in your hand?”

“A surprise.”

“What did your friends give you?”

“You have to _trust_ me.”

“How? I can’t even trust them.”

“Sansa,” he scolded with slight annoyance.

“Tell me something true… something real about you.”

“Like what?”

“Anything.”

“I’m an only child.”

“I already know that.”

“I left my home when I was sixteen.”

“No, something you never told anyone before.”

“I have feelings for you,” he quickly said. “Feelings I don’t want to talk about.”

My mother once said that men reveal their affection for them in different ways; some are verbal, others write it down, and then there are the kind of men that go out of their way to do things for you. I started to wonder if this is the only way Petyr could share that he cared for me, through touch and feelings alone.

“I have feelings for you too, Pete.”

“Then trust me,” he entreated, and then I felt his lips press against mine gently. “ _Please._ ”

“It won’t hurt?”

“No, it won’t.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Petyr, wait!” The silver chains shook violently as I unconsciously tried to reach him. “I need to know something.”

There was a slight pause and then I heard the smallest of breaths escape him in the dark. “What is it?”

“When…” _This might be the only thing to help me understand him more._ “Petyr, when did you first have sex?”

The pause was longer this time, stretching out for an eternity as I blinked my eyes in the darkness.

A ragged breath escaped him, sounding sad and heavy. The clamour of chains soon followed, as I tried to outstretch my arm to reach him.

“Pete?”

Another silence, and then the flashlight that was pointing down slipped from his hand and fell straight for the floor. It casted an eerie shadow behind our frames and shining the rest of the light into our bedroom and straight towards our empty bed.

“I was twelve,” he confessed. I saw the shadow of his arm move upward, searching for something on a shelf just above the railing until he pulled it down. The silver key reflected in the dark yellow light, and then I knew what he was doing.

“Are you releasing me?” His hand was hard around my wrist, fighting with the lock on the handcuffs until my left hand was free. I instantly laid it against his shoulder, and then on the side of his face so he could just look at me. “Petyr, what is the matter?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

The darkness in his voice, and the stiffness of his upper body told me something was seriously wrong. _He was twelve…_

The lock snapped on my right hand, and then I felt my heavy arm swing down to my side. Another noise followed, like the sound of small toys dropping to the floor right in front of my feet, and the heavy padding of bare feet across the wooden floor as Petyr left me. _Oh, no…_

I was quick to run after him, hearing his footsteps clamouring down the narrow glass hallway and heading to the main room of Petyr’s old apartment. _He’s leaving,_ I worried, _and decided to run after him._

A slamming of a cupboard door was heard, so I swiveled around from the living room and headed towards the kitchen. Petyr wasn’t there, I started to panic and ran a little faster till I was in the old office room. I caught the back of him, his head bent down as he uncorked another bottle of whiskey from Petyr’s secret stash. A cup wasn’t needed for him this time, he simply placed it against his lips and began to drain it down. “Petyr!” I called out angrily, knowing this wouldn’t solve anything.

“Fuck off.”

“Petyr, talk to me.”

“I told you to fuck off.”

I let out a heated exhale, unsure how to approach this man who was on the point of breaking down. Petyr’s shoulders were hunched over, and he leaned his arm heavily against the countertop while the other arm covered his face. There was small sniffling, as his entire body shook with a sudden grief that came over me. _Oh my god, Petyr…_

I went over to him, wrapping my arms around his shaking frame. He was losing it, moment by moment his entire wall was crumbling down right there before my eyes. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered into his ear, finally putting all the puzzle pieces together. “I truly am.”

He ignored me and picked up the tall white bottle again. “Don’t you say a word,” he threatened, before he brought it to his mouth and drank a couple of mouthfuls again.

My Petyr was broken, just as much as the old one. It seemed the past was catching up to them both, and maybe I was put into their life, to help them find a way out of the hell that they experienced. I was left speechless, however, so I simply used my arms to cradle him tightly. My lips pressed firmly to the back of spine as I worked my way upwards, never letting them off his skin for a single moment. I cared too much for him now, and not even his annoyed protests would make me stop.

Petyr pushed my arms off him, and then took the half-filled bottle as he slothfully walked away. He was leaning against a wall after the third step, probably inhaling too much alcohol at once for even him to control. “Fuck,” he cursed, as he slowly sagged to the cold hard ground, and then rolled over till he was flat on his back.

I bent down on my knees beside him and wrestled the bottle out of his tight grip till he submitted. He moaned once he saw it back on the counter top, but soon settled down once I lovingly stroked my hand through his hair. I laid down on the cold floor completely naked, nuzzling myself against his body with saddening eyes. “Petyr,” I pleaded, after he refused to look at me. I let my hand rest over his chest, rubbing it in small circles till it created heat over his cold body. I kissed the side of his shoulder where his tattoo was, and let it wander down the side of his arm before I placed it on his chest. His scar was there, I felt it under the palm of my hand, and I let my fingers rub down the shiny surface with a feeling of sorrow.

_The scar runs deeper than the one on my chest. Have you ever been in love, Sansa?_

I froze at the words I suddenly recalled but felt the first half was the only thing that was right in this case. _I don’t think parallel Petyr was in love when that happened_ , I thought, and by the low whimpering coming from his mouth I could only conclude it wasn’t mutual, or even consensual for that matter.

_He was twelve when he lost his virginity,_ I recalled, and the very thought of it made me cling to him tighter.

“Sansa, I’m cold,” he said in a groggy voice.

“Do you want me to help you up?”

Petyr nodded his head soberly, so I went on my knees and did my best to pull the front half of him off the ground. His arm arrested me quickly, pulling me in, and then he slammed his head into the small nook of my neck and shoulder for relief. We stayed like that for several minutes, neither of us saying a single word. Petyr cleared his voice with some effort, before he pulled his head out of the nook and attempted to look at me. “I need… to lie down.”

“I’ll help.”

“Help- help me to bed,” he stammered out, as the alcohol still left him light headed. In time we were both on our feet and staggering down the long halls to get to the other side of the apartment. His entire weight was on me, so it took longer to even make it to the kitchen. “Rest,” he urged, after he heard the laboured breaths escape me. Petyr leaned against one of the walls, tiredly scratching the front of his chest with a dejected look about him.

“Petyr, I didn’t know.”

“I know,” he gravely replied.

I let out a weak cough, and then outstretched my arms towards him, doing everything possible to give him a great bear hug. _If only I knew…_

Petyr took some time, but soon he lifted his limp arms and wrapped it around my form as well. _There were never any signs, how was I supposed to know?_

“I’m ready for bed,” he hushed, and patted the sides of my arms for me to let go. “Please, Sansa.”

I had no intention of letting him go, so I quickly wrapped my arm around the lower half of his waist to lead him out of the kitchen. His steps were still sluggish and unsteady, so I pulled most of his weight on me as soon as we reached the narrow glass hallway. The galaxy looked dark and lonesome, except for the pale cyan light illuminating one half of the hallway. I was dipped in a pale blue, while Petyr’s figure was lost in utter darkness.

“There we are,” I assured him, after I gently dropped him down on one side of the bed. I quickly ran over to cover him in blankets, and then crawled across the bed to quickly join him. “Petyr, I’m sorry I ruined your fun.”

He grunted in reply, and then rolled over on his chest to cover his head with a fluffy pillow. Uncertain of what to do, I leaned my body next to him, and stroked his strong back with the length of my hand. Every now and then he would let out a few grunts and groans, but I knew I was not the cause of it. _I just brought everything back to him,_ I realized, _and felt even worse because of it._

_Me and my stupid mouth…_

I felt weak. I felt stupid, and entirely ignorant that the wall Petyr strategically put up- that mask he wore before me was simply to hide a world of pain.

I withdrew myself from the bed once I could tell he was almost asleep and went in search of that box that contained the oils Ross had not so kindly given to us. I was just about to step into the closet when my toe jabbed on something hard. “Ouch,” I groaned, and lifted my right foot to rub away the pain. Weary of my next few steps I carefully reached out for the abandoned flashlight and pointed it to the spot where Petyr had dropped the two mysterious items. “Oh,” I uttered, with a faint realization of what these items entailed. I tried to suppress a giggle, as I brought the first hot pink item forward, stroking my hand against the hardened surface as I slowly realized what it was. The second was more obvious, anything shaped like a cock wasn’t too hard to decipher. The only question is, what did he have in mind with them?

I reached over for the box and stuck the flashlight in my mouth before I sauntered over to the bed. Once comfortable I brought the box into my lap and fished around with my flashlight to find something of interest. The box was full of things, a sort of unnerving fact as I realized just how prepared this new Petyr was. Fortunately, the bottle of oil wasn’t too hard to find, and I lathered it all over the palm of my hand before I laid the sweet smelling mango oil over the length of his back. Petyr was coming out of his sleep, but not in a bad way, since he realized I was straddled over him with every determination to rub the length of his back and arms. “Just relax,” I echoed to him, using the very words he had said not so long ago. “I want to make you feel better.”

“You are,” he tiredly replied into the pillow.

“Then… that is all that matters.” I rubbed him hard over his tense shoulders and then lathered it in the inside of his arm and out with specific attention to the muscles that somehow bulged out of his skin. He felt so different from my old Petyr; stronger, firmer, a strength that was felt even when his arms were relaxed.

“I was supposed to do this to you,” he remarked, after he rested only one side of his face to the pillow.

“You had a rough night.”

“I’m sorry… about what happened back there.”

“No, it was my fault. I asked that stupid ass question.” Petyr remained quiet, but I could tell he was slowly feeling better. _Maybe it’s the whiskey,_ I jokingly thought, but I hoped it was my hands wandering over the lower part of his spine that helped. I wavered for a moment before I poured down the rest of the blankets, knowing he might get an idea or two if I went any lower. “You better behave.”

“Or what?”

“I’m going to hide that box of yours.”

“Oh,” he said, as if he forgot something, and then rolled over to his side with a pleased air about him once he saw it on the bed. “You brought it over?”

“I was curious.”

“And?”

“I don’t know what to make of it.” He laughed loudly, like a man that was thoroughly drunk. “I don’t find it funny.”

“No, why would you?” Petyr reached over for the flashlight I discarded on the bed and fished around the tilted cardboard box as if he was looking for something. “Where is it?”

“What?”

“The things I was going to use on you?”

“Oh, the rubbery cock,” I jeered, and halted my massaging to add some extra emphasise. “Or that long pink thing.”

“Long pink thing,” he mocked, and rested his hand over the side of his face as he looked at me.

“That awkward little thing.”

“You don’t even know what it is?”

“No.”

“Oh, Sansa,” he laughed. He shook his head at me and pointing the flashlight on my face to see if it was true. “You’re a little angel, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“Your favourite phrase of the day.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“It is.”

I blocked the bright light from my face with my hand. “I’m glad your back to your old self.”

“Hmmm, it hit me hard.” The flashlight clicked off, and I heard him fall back into the bed again. Petyr was tired, the poor thing, so I massaged his outer thigh with every attempt to not touch anything I would regret. “Where did you put it?”

“What?”

“The thing you have no idea about,” he gibed, and I could almost imagine the wicked grin on his face.

“I left it at the edge of the bed, I think.”

“Bring it here.”

“My hands are…” Petyr suddenly lifted himself off the bed and crawled to the very edge with his flashlight in hand. “Really? Is it that important to you?”

“Very.”

“Petyr,” I scolded, and hated him the second he brought himself close to my side with both the items in the palm of his hand. “Its sickening.”

“Is it?”

“Why would I want a rubber cock when I could have yours?”

“Is Petyr the only person you’ve ever been with?”

“No, there was Jamie,” I told him with a flirty wink. “Except it was over so fast, I couldn’t believe he took my virginity.”

“Waste.”

“Your telling me.”

Petyr curled his legs inwards until he looked completely comfortable on the bed. He leaned his side against me slightly, before he brushed his shoulder against mine with deliberate purpose; in his hands were the two items that he was so determined to give me. “You really don’t know?”

I plucked the rubber looking cock from his hand and held it tightly to take in its stiffness. “It almost feels like the real thing.”

“Almost.”

I reached down below to feel his half limp cock, and felt they were more or less the same. “Still think yours is better.”

“Its because it’s the real thing,” he murmured, and then laid his hand over mine to keep it there for a little longer. “Now, hold it again,” he offered, and lifted my hand to the artificial one that he was so determined for me to try. “What do you think?”

“I hate it.”

“Strong words, sweetling.”

“Hate- it.”

Petyr let out a full bellied laugh, till he was nearly falling on top of me. I laid flat down on the bed on purpose, and he crawled on top of me till he nearly engulfed my frame. “I want to kiss you, Sansa.”

“Then what are you waiting for.” Petyr kept his word and kissed me fully on the lips, brushing both his hands through my hair as he laid on top of mine. _There it is,_ I thought, once I sensed the hardening down below. _I was starting to worry…_

Petyr took both sides of my arm to bring me upwards, and soon I found myself sitting on the bed. “Open your mouth.”

“Why?”

“So many questions,” he chided, as he held the fake cock in front of him. “Do you know what I’m going to do with this dildo.”

“No.”

“Really?” he asked with disbelief, and the soft lighting from the flashlight showed me he was hardly impressed.

“Your going to jab that thing in my mouth.”

“I am.”

“When I can have your cock instead.”

“Not until you master this,” he sneered, and then placed the hard item right in front of my lips. “Do I have to go step by step?”

“Mayb-” Petyr thrust the thing into my mouth, and I had no choice to open wide to let it pass through. He sat uncomfortably close to me, watching me with pitch-black eyes as I awkwardly held it in my mouth.

“You said you wanted a taste, so try,” he urged me, and then positioned himself in between my legs to sort of straddle me. He sat down on my lap, leaning forward, and then strategically thrusted the thing into my mouth inch by inch. “You’re out of your zone, Sansa,” he chided, noticing I still had trouble wrapping my headd around everything. “Stay out of your head, and just trust me.” I pressed my hands over his and pulled the dildo out as hard as I could. “San-”

“The real thing!” I interjected.

“Sansa,” he almost growled, and I knew this would lead into another fight. “You were so collaborative the other night.”

“The same night I blacked out.”

“I will be more careful with you tonight.”

“Will you?”

“Yes!” There was a shadow of a mocking grin spread across his face, and suddenly he was on top of me, rolling me around the bed in angry fury.

“You are getting what you deserve,” he growled, once we balanced on the very edge of the right side of the bed; another movement and we would both fall hard on the cold hard floor.

“And what is that?”

“You just like getting me all riled up, don’t you?”

“I enjoy it,” I laughed, but was it was soon silenced when he slammed his lips onto me. I moaned with pleasure as he kissed me hard and rough, liking the angry side of him to come out every now and then. I was laying limp in his arms by the time he lifted me from under my arm pits and slammed me into the headboard. “What are you doing?”

“Try it,” he demanded, and pressed the rough dildo in front of my face again.

“No,” I nearly laughed, and smacked it from his hand till it skidded across the bedroom floor.

“Fine, you want the real thing! Your going to get it.” I leaned over to laugh, but he quickly pushed my back onto the headboard in a playful manner before he rose himself to his feet. “Well, go ahead.”

“Wh- what?” I stammered out, as I wiped away the tears coming from my eyes from laughing.

“Try it.”

“Your cock?”

“The real thing.”

“Geez, Petyr, there is no beating around the bush with you.”

“No, there isn’t,” he answered me in a strangely dark voice, before he rested his hand at the back of my hand and steered me forward. “But I won’t force you.”

“Yeah, I know that.”

“Do you?”

“I was only teasing you,” I assured him, after I let my hand stroke him from the tip upwards. He shuddered from my touch, just as he had done earlier in the emergency staircase. “But I’m not quite sure what to do.”

“The exact same thing you did with the dildo, sweetling.”

“Alright.” Petyr stroked the back of my hair soothingly, probably sensing my apprehension with everything. He was like a professional, so experienced with everything; I felt like an inexperienced child around him with everything new and filled with the unknown. _Oh, what the hell!_ I kissed the tip lightly, finding the taste uncommon, but not overly bad. I gulped loud; nerves were coming over me, as I sat so very still in the silence.

“You don’t have too,” Petyr hushed, as I felt his hand freeze at the back of my head.

“Tell me if I do it wrong.”

“You’ll do perfect,” he assured me, and took both sides of my head tenderly to direct me forward. “Just don’t think about it. Let it come naturally, okay?”

I closed my eyes to push out the last of my thoughts and let his dewy cock slip between my lips. I heard Petyr hiss instantly and flickered my eyes upward to see the change of temperature must have hit him right away. There was even a tenseness to his cock, a thing I felt instantly in the small crevice of my mouth. Seeing this as a good sign, I sucked my cheeks in to take more, and felt Petyr stroking my hair feverishly as if he was well pleased. I laid my hands over the sides of his hips, and jerked my head upward to take in some more, finding a strange sensation of him throbbing inside of me. I felt wicked all of sudden, or maybe courageous enough to lap my tongue against it, teasing the tip, craning it against the rough grooves till I heard him hiss like a serpent. I flicked my eyes open to see his entire body trembling, losing himself so much that he had to lean his hands against my shoulders.

“Sansa,” he breathed from the back of his throat, before he thrust himself inside of me. I felt alarmed, but it wasn’t enough for me fearing I would lose all control. He muttered my name again, straining his hands against my shoulder blades before he thrust into me more. I mumbled out his name, finding myself alarmed again, and he quickly opened his eyes to see my startled expression. “No, your doing fine,” he assured me, and stroked my hair deftly to show he meant it. “You can come out now.”

I pulled myself now to see how elongated his cock was. He held it stiffly between his hands, squeezing it purposefully till it ticked upwards in a ready position. “You did well for your first time,” he wheezed out, after he finally set eyes on me. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, half embarrassed at the mischievous look in his eyes. “Should you do it again?”

“Again?”

“Only if you want too.”

“I- I did fine?”

“Yes, sweetling.” He moved himself closer to me as he added, “And after that I will give you a treat of my own.”

I gulped loudly, somehow aroused by the dangerous look in his eyes. Without thinking I gripped onto the back of his legs and pushed myself forward, opening my mouth wide to take him in greedily. _This time I’m in control,_ I told myself, and patted his backside to tell him I wanted more. Petyr was uncertain at first but leaned his body into my space more before he gave me the first thrust. The impact was hard, but I wasn’t going to lose my nerve, not yet. I sucked him hard, finding a dent in my cheeks as I drove my tongue hard down on the surface. “Jesus, Sansa!” he suddenly cried out, and unsteadily leaned into me as if he would collapse at any moment.

He did.

“Come here, big boy,” I ordered, and before he could even move, I was already on top of him to suck him hard again.

“Sansa,” he breathed out in disbelief, and let out an alarmed grunt when I gripped the nooks of his hips to bring him closer into my body. His shaky legs wrapped around the front half of me, probably wanting to trap me in, but I didn’t need that to keep my mouth off him. Petyr angled his hips up more, and I laid my hand underneath his backside until I could take him all in, ready to receive him each time he feebly thrust into me; by the time I was done Petyr was laying limp on his side wheezing out unsteady breaths with his hair all in a wreck. “Jesus!” he screamed out and banged his hand against the bed. “I… oh god…”

I went on top of him and angled his body to face me completely. Drawing his head off the bed with both of my hands, I pressed my lips against his, making sure he knew what he tasted like. “You liked that,” I taunted, and let my hand rover down to flick his still hardened cock. “You like how I handled you.”

“Uhhmmm.”

“You like how I made you weak to your knees,” I told him darkly, before I drove my tongue into his mouth. Petyr must have got his nerve back, he spun me around in the bed till he was on top, and then pinned both of my hands over my head.

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

He kissed my lips roughly, driving his teeth down on my lower lip till he could pull it out of place. “You fucked me dry, sweetling.” He reached behind him, probably searching for something on the bed. “And as promised, here is your reward.”

“That pink thing!” I yelled out with annoyance, after he hovered it over my face.

“You can thank me later,” he promised me with a wink. I suddenly felt a vibrating sensation down below, right over my…. “There it is,” Petyr knowing said, once I curled in my legs against him with an elated moan. “That- pink- thing,” he jeered, and laid it right over my clit to make me groan into his neck with half pleasure and half pain.

“What are you… doing to me?” I moaned, and without realizing it I was digging my teeth into the side of his neck. “Fuck,” I grunted, and found the animalistic side of me was coming out, for I was reaching for his manhood with fiercely tensed hands. “Give it to me,” I demanded, and grappled my hands around it till I could direct it to the place I needed it most.

“Patience, Sansa.”

I moaned inarticulate words from half closed lips, wrestling my fingers against his cock for my own torment until he would give in.

“Slow down, San.”

“Not until you give it to me.”

“You would make a demanding wife.”

“Says the one who is demanding in bed.”

“Says the one who threw my fucking dildo away!” he yelled right back.

“You know what…”

“What?”

“I fucking hate you, Petyr Baelish.”

Petyr burst out in laughter, and smacked my hands away from his cock before he drove himself in. I think I screamed or did something loud enough to make him laugh harder. I swear he enjoyed tormenting me, this parallel Pete, with his fancy cock and all.

“Feel free to say my name anytime, sweetling,” he said after an unpredictable thrust.

“I hate you!” Petyr pressed his lips against mine, enjoying the low moan that came out of my mouth, as he readjusted the vibrator just slightly. “Oh, Pete,” I breathed out in defeat, and found my lips letting out a long moan till I had to forced the vibrator away. “I swear I’ll kill you,” I warned, as he held the mechanical device in front of my face.

“You have to wait until after I make love to you,” he countered, and bit down on his lip before he decided to keep his word.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Petyr's past will be discussed in greater details in later chapters. This is personal to me, since it happened to someone I'm close too. Hopefully this is enough of a warning, but I won't get into any specific details in this story. I just wanted you to know that, and that I respect you as a reader. 
> 
> Also, I wanted to let you know that I don't think something traumatic per say, would get someone interested in BDSM. I actually have no prior knowledge to this, but I thought this story would allow me to explore that sexual realm. In a way, I am very much like Sansa so please be kind in your comments for this chapter and in any future ones.
> 
> One final note, there is a plot to all of this, and I am eagerly awaiting for them to land on the planet, Dolus. Things will get very exciting from here on out.
> 
> Feel free to comment below to let me know what you think, and again I do apologize if I have triggered or offended anyone. 
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish
> 
> P.S. Special thanks to Clarissa for letting me ask all those stupid questions, and being kind enough not to point out my obvious ignorance with everything. As always, I don't know what I would do without you. I'm sure you enjoyed this chapter very much hehehehe


	19. In the Absence of Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa finds out a few dark truths about her universe, as well as her lovers.

The bed was empty when I woke up, and Petyr was nowhere in sight.

“Petyr,” I murmured, as I rolled around the narrow empty bed, kicking off the matted bedsheets before I stumbled out of bed. My entire body felt sore, and for good reason too. I rubbed my hands down my inner thighs, remembering the things Petyr did to me- the words he said.

I raised my hands tiredly in the air as I tried to maintain my balance, stumbling across the cold tiled floor till I approached the entranceway to our bedroom. There was a faint sound coming from somewhere downstairs, or at least further away from me to not distinguish the sound. _Music,_ I realized, and then felt some sense of contentment knowing Petyr was still in our apartments. I turned back around to retrieve a house coat and wrap it around my naked form before I left the room entirely.

A sound of drumming thudding across the hallway, and then the thrill guitar strumming was enough for me to recognize what parallel Pete was listening too. _He would be listening to Pink Floyd_. I almost smiled at this fact and picked up the pace to find his quiet little hiding spot.

The guitar bridge was shrilling in the tiny office room, where Petyr was sitting on the same tabletop as before with a long glass of water in hand. He was dressed in his crumbled white boxers, with his hair all in a wreck from last night. “Petyr?” I asked softly, but he could barely hear me when he was so close to the speakers. “Petyr,” I repeated, and softly tapped him on the shoulder to get him turn his head in my direction. “You okay?”

He nodded his head slowly, eyes still lost in his own musing as he took time to recognize me. There was something different about his air, almost as if a part of him was absent for a moment. “I miss playing this.”

“Oh?”

“Time,” he said in a low tenor. “Kind of makes sense why I like it now.”

“Why?”

His lips puckered slightly, and then he only answered me with a shrug of his left shoulder. The song ended, and Petyr turned the speaker down with a remote control as the next track _Breathe_ started to flow through the speakers. “I have a headache,” he told me, before he rubbed the side of his face tiredly. “I think I drank too much.”

“You think?”

“Shut up, Sansa,” he teased, and leaned forward to kiss me on my brow. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired to the bone.”

“That’s my girl.” He rubbed the side of my shoulder, where the soft fabrics of my house coat fluffed lightly against his fingers. He looked happy, or at least satisfied with this quiet moment. “I think I will have to lie down again.”

“You didn’t get enough sleep?”

“I never get enough sleep.” The tired bags around his eyes confirmed it, and I felt some sort of pity as he lazily looked away from me.

“You don’t suffer from nightmares, do you?” His body movements stiffened at that exact moment. “My Petyr… the old one… he used to have nightmares.” My voice started to fade away as I added, “It was about _Jane._ ”

“No, not really.” He let his mouth hover over the rim of the glass cup as he mused aloud, “I think too much.”

“About?”

“I have to get back home. There is still a lot to do.”

“I don’t even know if you can get back, Pete.”

“I know, but I have to try.” He took a sad gulp of his water, probably drowning out the last of his thoughts that were encouraging him to stay. “I should try and get some sleep.”

“Okay.”

“Wake me up in an hour, will you?” he asked, over the blaring scream from one of Pink Floyd’s songs.  “We can have breakfast together.”

“Sounds good.” Petyr leaned into me and kissed me on the brow once more before he slid off the table. “Goodnight, Pete.”

“You mean good morning,” he laughed, before he left me to my own solitude.

_There is a rift between us…_

I leaned against the tabletop and turned my head to the speakers where the beginning of _Us and Them_ was starting to play _. I guess there is some similarities between them both,_ I contemplated, knowing these tracks were from my old Petyr’s private collection. The saxophone playing did little good for me, it only made me miss my old Petyr more _. I’m so confused._

I had learned so much about parallel Petyr last night, and now was the perfect opportunity to think about everything. _Or overthink,_ I reminded myself, and thought it was best to turn off the stereo and get myself ready for work.

I was just exiting the kitchen entranceway when I heard a loud knocking downstairs. _Who could that be,_ I wondered, and made sure my whole body was concealed in my house coat before I turned right and walked down the small three steps. Once I opened the front door, I was surprised to see Captain Ali; his freshly ironed military-like jacket told me he was strictly here for business. “Captain?”

“Hello Sansa, may I come in?”

“I’m not dressed, but sure.” I let him pass through the front door, noticing the heavy briefcase he held in his hand that matched the dark brown uniform he was currently wearing. Captain Ali looked for an appropriate place to sit but seeing there was only a long line of couches he decided to take the largest of the three. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No.”

“This won’t take long, will it?”

“No.”

I took a seat next to him, leaving an extra gap since I felt so exposed. Captain Ali was observant enough to notice a blanket on the other side of him, and quietly handed it to me with a slight look of embarrassment. “I have come here for business,” he announced, as he snapped open the cloth bindings to his brief case. “We have matters to discuss.”

“Its about me breaking Petyr out of the investigation room, isn’t it?”

“One of the many issues to discuss,” he dryly replied, though I could tell he took no real pleasure from it. “First off… Petyr is expected to resume his investigation in two hours. He will be heavily guarded, and we do not expect another incursion like yesterday.” He pulled out a sheet of paper that stated out the facts in more detail with his signed signature at the bottom. “He is expected to repeat the same information as before, meaning the events leading up to his physical fight with Diego Bachalo. The information shall be documented and used against the criminal procedures against him. There is… one of many.” He let his eyes soften for a moment as he relayed, “I hope you know he is under the strictest security now. No harm should come to you… or others.”

“So, he’s done it before.”

“Unfortunately,” he almost grunted with a blackened look. “Your orders shall be followed at 12:00 hours he will be escorted to an escape pod. Mr. Bachalo will be directed to the planet Dolus, and it is there that justice shall determine whether he should live or die.”

He handed me another sheet of paper with a quiet whisper that he needed my signature on the bottom. “How will we know he goes to Dolus?”

“There is no other planet for him to go too. If he wishes to escape entirely, he will be traveling in deep space, and I have already warned him I would not hesitate to shoot if he comes anywhere near this ship again.”

“Ah,” I pronounced with some level of understanding. For as long as I had known Captain Ali, I had never seen him look so aggravated before.

“Plus, I have asked Doctor Wong to place a tracking device on him.”

“So, we know where he is?”

“Yes, and I have planned to watch his every move once he reaches the planet, Dolus. At least we know what to expect once we send out a party of our own.”

“You’re not coming with us,” I said knowingly.

“I’m afraid not. Ares needs me.”

“A Captain and his ship,” I mumbled to myself. _He has more love for it, than any human being I know._ “What else did you have to tell me?”

“You are expected to have an investigation right after Petyr,” he declared, and handed me a third document that stated the following. “No weapons.”

“I understand.”

“I heard, Clarence, the investigator is eager to meet you.”

I laughed into the quiet room, realizing the deep hole I had dug for himself. “I’ll apologize.”

Captain Ali only grunted at me with furrowed eyebrows. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”

“Neither do I.”

“And I heard about your meeting yesterday as well,” my Captain said with a dark expression. “You completely disregarded everyone’s opinion.”

“Yeah, they didn’t want Petyr to be apart of the Council!”

“You must decide that as a _group._ ”

“How am I supposed to lead, when you guys keep taking my powers away,” I argued back.

“It was Lord Baelish that gave you the power, not I,” he reminded me. “Or anyone else.”

“Because he knew what he was doing!”

“He did,” Captain Ali quickly consented. “But do you?”

“Are you questioning my authority?”

“Sansa, are you hearing yourself?”

“Do I ever question yours?”

“This is not about me!” he said in a louder tone of voice. “We need to vote on Petyr being apart of Elisium’s Council. It is not _your_ decision to make.”

“At the end of the day it is.”

“Sansa,” he implored with a look of irritation. “I don’t know what that man has been whispering into your ears but-”

“This has nothing to do with Petyr!” I slammed the back of my hand into my other one as I yelled out, “This is about me having control, or power, or whatever you want to call it over the ship and the council! This new Pete has every right to be apart of Elisium’s Council, _and_ our expedition to the planet Dolus.”

“He does,” Captain Ali said in a shaky voice. “ _But!_ And, yes, I said ‘but’ it needs to be decided together. This ship cannot be run by one person alone.”

“I kept saying Elisium’s Council is a democracy, but its not.” I noticed how my Captain leaned back in the sofa, interested in what I had to say next. “It’s a republic! I’m no different than the Caesar’s that ruled Rome, and you know what, I have every intention to hold that power until a new successor is named, so until that day comes my word is law.”

“Your word,” he scorned. “Sansa, you aren’t even sounding like yourself.”

“I sound the most like myself now, maybe than ever before.”

“This is _his_ doing,” the man beside me groaned. “You do realize he comes from a galaxy full of dictators?”

“So?”

“He’s rubbing off you, don’t you see?” Captain Ali leaned into me with a look of warning as he added, “As a _historian_ you should be familiar with the Magna Carta.” He noticed the puzzlement flickering across my face. “No one is above the law!”

“I never said I was!”

“No?” He leaned against the back sofa again with a pleased air. “You forget you broke into an investigation room fully arm, and caused bodily harm to one of our security guard. I hope you know his family wants to file a complaint against you, and I just might allow those proceedings to follow.”

“Your threatening me?”

“I’m warning you,” he corrected. “Do that again, and I will have to exercise my powers to remove you from council.”

“It _is_ a threat.”

“This is,” he uttered aloud, and opened his brief case to hand me one more piece of paper. “A written warning if you should ever try that nonsense again.”

“I thought you were my friend,” I shrilled out in anger.

“I’m your Captain, Sansa,” he reminded me in a wooden tone of voice. “And your superior.”

_Will soon see about that…_

“And take my word of advice,” he added after he rose to his feet. “Stay away from him.”

* * *

Petyr was scooping sugar into his coffee when he uttered, “You’re not eating.”

I held the fork over my plate, not really bothered to eat my freshly made pancakes after all. I let my fork fall over the side of my plate, and then got out of my seat to retrieve the papers. “Take a look,” I ordered, and dropped the three pieces of paper next to his plate.

Petyr scanned it quickly with his eyes, sucking his thumb were a drop of maple syrup still lingered. He wiped his hands off a nearby napkin before he brought the papers closer to his face. “I have to go in again,” he almost groaned, and did half an eye roll as he set it down on the table. “You think I killed the man.”

“Just go.”

“I see you have one too.”

“Yes,” I said half heartedly. “I don’t know what they hope to gain from it.”

“The evidence to convict the man further,” he said with untold knowledge. “Maybe you should over exaggerate it.”

“Why? He is already sentenced to his crimes.” Petyr’s eyebrows raised with interest, while tiny lines crinkled around his clear grey-green eyes. “He’s done this kind of thing before.”

“Then I really should have killed him.”

“Petyr,” I groaned.

“But that’s not what’s bothering you?” He shifted through the pieces of paper and lifted one that caught his interest. “Ah, here it is!”

“They want me to step down,” I said through gritted teeth. “That’s the polite way of saying-”

“They want you gone,” he darkly said. “As I warned you before.”

“They’re my friends.”

“Were,” he corrected me. Petyr’s eyes scanned the paper quickly, taking in every detail that was on the page. “I see Captain Ali has finally sided against you.”

“I blame Richards.”

“Oh?”

“He’s been taking people on his side ever since you came.” Petyr’s look of sympathy cut me hard, and I was forced to direct my eyes away from him. “I’ve met people like him before, you know?”

“He has the right intentions.”

“That’s what they all say.”

I shrugged my shoulders at him in defeat, lost with what words to use to defend my friend.

“I know he means a lot to you…”

“He was there for me when no one wasn’t,” I told him. “He was Petyr’s best friend.”

“And yours.”

“Yes.”

“So, it hurts you more,” he knowingly admitted. “But at some point, you are going to have to choose, Sansa.”

“Choose what?”

Petyr lifted his coffee cup with a smug riddled across his face. “Richards… or _me?_ ”

* * *

There were wind chimes in Mariam’s office, that made a small noise from the heating vent. She was away from her desk for a moment, digging into one of her navy-blue drawers in search for something. It was just after 14:00 hours, and I was exhausted from a day of questioning and subtle threats from my peers. I was also curious of the whereabouts of Petyr, apparently his investigation was taking longer than needed.

“You look pale,” Mariam said with her back towards me. “I noticed it when you came in.”

“Long morning.”

“I heard you went to see Doctor Wong too.”

“Psychological examination,” I shared. “Just another check-up.”

“You never had those till parallel Pete came around,” she denoted with a sound of suspicion in her voice. “I take it, this wasn’t done on your own account.”

“Obviously.”

“You feel like everyone is going against you,” she surmised, as she slowly walked her way back to her desk. “But they only care about you.”

“What about you?” I asked with crossed arms.

“I care about Pete,” she confessed. “Both of them.”

“Yes, we all know that,” I stated out with a dangerous bite to my voice.

“We were very close, you know.”

I rolled my eyes at her as I turned my gaze away. _If I have too hear about their dating days one more time…_

“I think he would be embarrassed by the way this parallel Pete is behaving.”

“Because he’s different?”

“His attitude,” she mused aloud. “The way he treats everyone.”

“Oh, your singing a different tune.”

“It is merely an observation,” she said in a disquieted voice. “But I’m not against him, not like everyone else.”

“That’s a relief.”

“He is so different,” she pondered aloud. “You knew him after Jane, but he was…” Mariam lifted her pen and uncapped the silver nozzle, as if it would calm her nerves. “He was much happier when I first met him. Curious, intelligent, but kind… always so very kind to me and his co-workers.” She capped her pen with a look of worry as she voiced aloud, “But he was lonely too. I believe in his mind.”

“No wonder he created Jane.”

“Yes,” she drawled out in a low tenor. Mariam’s sharp eyes looked out in the distant window, seemingly lost in her own private musings. “But we are hovering over a planet _he_ chose, so I think you should know some things.” Mariam opened a creamy brown folder up and rotated the files until they could face me. “This is all I could come up with, but I hope it helps.”

“It’s a picture of our galaxy.”

“A sketching I came up with,” she divulged. “You can see the planet Dolus here,” she added, with a small pointing of her finger. “We are in the farthest reaches of D2300 galaxy; the one that you and have lived on for most of your life.”

“Yeah… and?”

“You forget that I am not from your galaxy,” she disclosed in almost a whisper. “I was found as a child on an abandoned ship and was taken in for experimentation for a long as I can remember. It was Petyr that saved me, giving me hope when I had none. It was also him that developed my love for advancement in technology, and how I stumbled upon biological artificial intelligence.” Mariam tilted the paper closer to her as she pointed out, “When I was found… it was near here.”

“Close to Dolus?”

“Yes, and very close to the spot we found this parallel version of Petyr.”

“So, this wasn’t a coincidence,” I breathed out.

“I believe our Petyr had a hunch…” She pointed her finger at Dolus, and then laid it flat on the drawn planet. “… that it could happen again.”

“Did he want to send you back?”

“No, I don’t believe so. This is my home now.”

“Then what did he want?”

“There is something on Dolus that he wanted very badly.” Her voice became frail as she concluded, “Something that is worth all of our lives to get.”

“He wouldn’t put our crew at risk.”

“Not all of it, but just enough.” Mariam turned her head to the black window, taking in the puffs of aryan blue swirls that came across our window from time to time. “This galaxy is dying, Sansa, and that is why Vasken was so determined to pack up and leave this planet as soon as this truth was discovered. You see, galaxies are embedded in clouds of dark matter, carrying something scientists call dark matter halos. Unfortunately for us, as galaxies fall through these larger halos, it creates superheated intergalactic plasma between them.” Mariam pressed her two hands together and started to rub them together, showing me the heat and friction that could be created by this simple movement. “This is a fast-acting process called _ram-pressured stripping._ ”

“So, you are saying our galaxy is stripping away?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“And its rubbing against your galaxy,” I realized. “Petyr’s?”

“Yes.”

“Would that mean that his galaxy is becoming destroyed as well?”

“Theoretically speaking, yes. We could even be rubbing against galaxies that are unobservable to our eyes and theirs.”

“We just came from one lost galaxy, and now you are saying we are losing another?”

“It is the cycle of life, Sansa,” Mariam said in a motherly tone of voice. “Life and death.”

“Can we escape it?”

“We can’t stop this natural process.”

“Okay, but can you and I escape it?”

“We would have to get into a galaxy that isn’t actively dying. The absence of stars outside my window confirms our fate. The stars have gone cold, the gases in our galaxy grow old and die away…”

_… to the Stars and Back…_

“… this phenomenon obstructs new stars from being born,” Mariam continued, without realizing my mind had momentarily slipped away from her conversation.

“Did Petyr know this?” I interjected. “That our galaxy is dying?”

“It could be a possibility.”

“I mean the stars?”

“We were stranded on Plegethon for five years, Sansa, it is so hard to say.”

“He would have wanted to save us… if he knew about it?”

“I think so.”

“So, we could find something on Dolus?”

Mariam rubbed her eyes tiredly as she admitted, “Who knows? It’s a possibility.”

“Then I’ll take it!”

“There is danger down on that planet.”

“Petyr knew that… I know that…” I paused to laugh at the woman mockingly. “I’m still going.”

Mariam shook her head disagreeably, and then shuffled the files around the paper to snatch something from the bottom. “Here is a theory I have…” she laid the paper in front of me, which showed messy cursive writing of jotted notes. “About my galaxy and yours,” she proposed. “These terms are too scientific for you, so let me put it in easier terms. You know when you have a bottle of champagne, or you take a bath… a bubble bath…” She paused when she caught the brightness to my cheeks but chose to ignore it. “There are multiple bubbles, more than you can possibly count. Imagine those are galaxies!”

“Okay?”

“The bubbles pop, so they die away on their own.”

“Like our galaxy?”

“No, not like ours,” she said with excitement. “I have a better theory.”

“Go on.”

She lifted the piece of paper with energy, waving it next to her face as she suggested, “What if your galaxy and mine are merging together, like two bubbles-”

“- and then we pop,” I interrupted.

“Yes, it could. But it gives us enough time to find a galaxy that won’t.”

“And then another and another,” I exclaimed. “Like the migration of birds.”

“Sansa, we could live a whole life time and not have a galaxy die away on us.”

“Then we could just stay here.”

“I’d rather go into Petyr’s,” she lamented. “I don’t think ours will last for very much longer.”

“Then we can forget about Vasken, and search for a way to go into Petyr’s universe.”

“I believe there will be pockets in space, it will be black and lifeless, but it should be somewhere in there.”

“We could be searching forever.”

“Not unless we let our ship drift off in space, like mine and Petyr’s,” she contended. “But that will be after we _defeat_ Vasken.”

I leaned back in my chair in complete astonishment, surprised that this woman still wanted to go along with our original plans. “But we could escape all this!”

“You made a promise to Petyr,” she reminded me. “His last words were directed to you.”

“Which you hate.”

“I do not hate it,” she mumbled. “But I know… he wanted you to finish his mission. It is you that must take down Jane’s plans to have the machine rule over us. If not, the destruction of the human race could follow us… even into this new universe.”

“You mean they could somehow find a pocket into Petyr’s universe as well?”

“And destroy us,” Mariam declared with a confident voice. “Let’s finish this while we still can.”

“Petyr… the new one… he won’t go along with this plan.”

“That is his choice to make.”

“But I want him with me.”

“That,” she laid her hand over me in small comfort. “Is not your decision to make.”

I grabbed my hand back, uncomfortable with this woman touching me. “I will have to find him, and then tell him as soon as I can.”

“It’s the fourth day,” she voiced aloud, with a look of worry.

“What?”

“Petyr… he died on the fourth day the two of you met.”

“So, what- what are you trying to say?” I stammered out with my frosty blue eyes turning as cold as ice.

“I hope history doesn’t repeat itself,” she said in a quiet voice, and looked over me to stare at the clock.

_Oh no…_

“Where is he?” I demanded, realizing it was only a few hours until the time of Petyr’s death. _16:42._

“I don’t know. Shouldn’t you?”

“No,” I panicked, before I quickly sprinted out of her office.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, kudos and comments are most welcome. I have school starting up this week, but I will try to update this story as soon as I can.
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish
> 
> P.S. For those of you who were wondering, when Petyr was in the office he was listening to Pink Floyd's "Time", "Breathe", and "The Great Gig in the the Sky"; when Sansa was left on her own to think over everything she was listening to "Us and Them."


	20. 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa can't help counting down the minutes till her former love's death. Time is ticking faster than they both imagined, as Petyr and Sansa are faced with a test that will challenge their authority on Ares irreconcilably.

I was still in a panicked frenzy by the time I found Petyr; heart ramming heavily inside my chest as I caught him in the corner of my eye as I raced past a glass hallway. It was the same hallway I only saw him four days ago, the afternoon I caught him in the observatory sitting next to Mariam. He was on the same white bench, but this time he was alone. Petyr’s legs were spread out wide, as he leaned his elbows on his knees to hold his weary head up. I could tell he was lost in his thoughts, while he stared at a leafy green bush just ahead of him.

I leaned my hand against the glass window, taking in this silent lonely creature. This man that I had grown to love faster than I could have ever imagined and longed for maybe more than my own soul. I took one last look at him before I sprinted down the rest of the hallway, in search of the staircase that would take me into the conservatory.

The staircase took me to the back end of the garden area, allowing me to watch Petyr while he remained perfectly undisturbed. He was still lost in a daze, so completely consumed that he didn’t even pay attention to the small cooing coming from a tree next to him. I walked softly along the tiled floor, until I was just a few feet away from him, and only then did I let my eyes glance upward at the swinging monkey that was hanging upside down from a nearby tree. Marlo noticed me immediately and made enough sounds to wake Petyr out of his daydream. I pressed my finger against my mouth to signal Marlo to stop, but he had a mind of his own, and soon he was crawling down the tree trunk and scampering across the floor with those bright golden eyes directed at me. “Marlo,” I groaned, the second he was hopping up and down in front of my feet. “You gave me away.”

“Sansa?” Petyr said in surprise. He was half off the bench to take a better look at me, pushing some long, windy vines away until we made eye contact. “I didn’t hear you coming?”

“Where were you?” I demanded, deciding to ignore his observation completely. “I’ve been looking everywhere-”

“- I’ve been here,” he interjected. “I just needed somewhere to think, that’s all.”

Marlo demanded that I should hold him, so like a child I lifted him off the floor and cradled him in my arms. Petyr shot us a grin, one of his genuine ones that made his green eyes almost sparkle among the lush forestry around us. Petyr beckoned us over with a wave of the hand and waited till I was next to him before he took a seat. “He’s starting to like me.”

“Marlo does,” he asserted, with his hand softly rubbing the side of his pet monkey’s head. “Kind of like me.”

“I should hope so,” I giggled, and found my smile widening at the two of them. “How long have you had him?”

“About a year.” He rubbed Marlo’s fur upward, using his strong fingers to scrape it up gruffly. “I bought him at a black market. He’s a rare one, only a few of his kind. They say he came from a science lab… the kind where they conduct experiments.”

“Oh,” I uttered in a small voice.

“I think they smuggled him out somehow,” he proposed. “I never really got a clear answer. All I know, is the poor monkey went ecstatic over me, so I just had to buy him.”

“And he’s been with you ever since.”

“Yeah.” Petyr opened his arms to let the creature come into his lap, and affectionately wrapped his arms around it.

“You love him.”

“Love is a strong word.”

“Like hate,” I suggested. Petyr quietly nodded his head in agreement, unafraid to get his clean white uniform dirty with the stray dark auburn hair flaking against him from his pet. “Petyr?” I voiced aloud and waited for him to give me his whole attention. “What happened at the investigation?”

“They were more interested in my universe than Bachalo,” he fretted. “It seems your Captain has other alternatives to the investigation.”

“We don’t know that.”

“I know they had very specific questions for me,” he quipped. He tucked Marlo’s head into his chest, so he could stroke the back of his head as he continued, “And I had very vague answers.”

“Is that why they kept you there so long?”

“Yeah.” The corner of his lips tugged into a smile as he taunted, “I was kind of hoping you would break me out again.”

“We both know what will happen if I do.”

Petyr shrugged his shoulders at me not so innocently, before he went back to petting Marlo. “I see you got your gun back,” he noted, as his eyes glanced over to my hip closest to him.

“Yeah.”

“Planning to use it?”

“If I couldn’t find you, I would.”

“Still worried about me,” he pointed out, with what looked like a playful grin.

“If only you knew…” I found my voice faltering, and instantly directed my whole body forward, instead of towards him. “I think you need to know some thing, Pete.”

“Am I in trouble?” he joked.

“No, its… the other Petyr, well, he…” I rubbed my hands together nervously, which drew the attention of Marlo as well. “He died four days after I met him, and well…”

“Its been four days,” he answered me with a look of understanding.

“I’m just worried it will happen again.”

“I don’t see Vasken breaking into this ship, so I should be fine.”

“It might not be Vasken,” I pointed out. “I just want you to be careful.”

“Okay, I will,” he said in a light-hearted manner. “Maybe you should give me that gun.”

“No, Pete,” I replied, while he broke out in laughter. “No _gun._ ”

Marlo pushed himself out of Petyr’s arms, and jumped to the ground in search of a tree. It felt like we were watching our own child, as we sat there with large smiles as Marlo cooed at us from a nearby tree. It wasn’t until he dropped himself upside down that Petyr and I broke out in light laughter. _We need_ _this,_ I thought, as he reached for my hand and held it in his. “I missed you today,” he confessed, and leaned to the side to kiss my cheek. “Been a couple of hours at least.”

“I missed you too.”

“Odd how close we’ve gotten,” he observed aloud. “I feel so comfortable around you.”

“I do too.”

“Like I’ve known you my whole life.” Petyr pressed the side of his body against me, looking like he wanted to be as near to me as possible. “A part of me wanted to back off… especially earlier on today.” He turned his gaze away from me, with long lines stretching across his face with sorrow. “I told you something I’ve never told anyone before, and I’m… I’m ashamed of it.”

I rubbed my hand on the shoulder that was closest to me, pressing my face close to his own as I muttered, “There is nothing to be ashamed about.”

“I- I don’t know,” he stuttered under his breath. “It just makes everything feel real.”

I kissed the side of his cheek, but I noticed how hard his expression was, even after the kiss. _Is there nothing I can do to make things better,_ I wondered _, and feared in my heart that there wasn’t._

“You won’t think differently of me-”

“- no!” I quickly shrilled out. “Never.”

“Think of me like I’m some sort of-”

“Pete,” I interrupted. “Never.”

“Cause I was forced,” he said through gritted teeth, with eyes so black it was barely recognizable. “I didn’t know…”

I wrapped my arms around him instantly, sensing a part of him wanted to flee after that confession. Petyr burst into tears suddenly, drenching his pale cheeks and falling down the deep indentations of his skin that carved down the sides of his face when he was angry. He wasn’t the Petyr I knew at that moment, it was a person that was fragile and weak- delicate as the flowers around us. I held him tightly as he heaved into my chest, air bursting out of his throat as he tried to catch his breath. “Pete,” I hushed, as I soothed down the center of his back. Marlo could even sense something was wrong, for he went completely silent as his two paws hung from the branch of a nearby tree. Petyr gripped his nails into my skin unconsciously, while his back suddenly shivered from grief. I didn’t know what to do, so I kept holding him against me, trying to be a solid rock in the middle of his storm. He stayed like this for several minutes, and after a while he grew deathly quiet. I became more worried then, noticing how long he kept his eyes shut from the world around him.

Marlo let out a low cooing noise, and then swung himself over to the broad tree trunk, so he could climb down. I wanted to shoo the inquisitive monkey away, but with my arms completely full, it was nearly impossible to do so. Marlo prevailed, hopping his way to the bench, before he burrowed his head deep into Petyr's lap.

I looked up with a pained smile when I noticed someone was standing in front of the glass window on the second level, I caught that familiar figure well once he realized he was spotted. _I better not get any questions from him,_ I thought, as I watched the back of Richards as he walked away. _Because I won’t tell him a damn thing._

Petyr was still silent, but he had morphed his body into mine. He was like a cat, all cuddled up with every intention to be as close to me as possible. I laid my hand on the top of his head, brushing down his fervid curls that rustled softly in the cool ventilated breeze. My voice was as soft and tender as possible, as I entreated, “Pete, it wasn’t your fault.” He only moved his body closer to mine, nails gripping into my skin until I feared it would rip and bleed. He remained like this for a few more minutes, and by this point I was wondering if I should send for help. _But he needs me…_

“San,” Petyr muttered just in time, for I was at a loss of what to do at that moment.

“Yes, Petyr.”

“You won’t tell anyone?”

“No, never.”

I felt his head nod in acknowledgement, while he kept it buried somewhere against my chest and stomach. I brushed at his hair soothingly, while Marlo let out a soft cooing noise that almost sounded like a song.

Another few minutes passed, and finally I heard a long sigh from his lips. He raised his head up in defeat, making sure his eyes were downcast enough to not look at me straight in the eyes. Feeling the same level of weakness, I rubbed his back roughly, trying to unfurrow the tense lines that crept along his lower back. He let out another sigh, and then rubbed his drenched face with the back of his hand. He felt weak and vulnerable, and I felt that was what he hated most of all. _But we can’t always be strong,_ I surmised, and kissed this man’s cheek with the dearest longing. “I don’t feel good,” he murmured from the back of his throat.

“Do you want me to get Andrews or Wong?”

“No,” he grumbled low.

“Then what do you want?”

“I…” He gulped loudly, and then cleared his throat with the greatest effort. “I don’t know.”

“Then, maybe you should just rest with me,” I suggested. Marlo added to that fact with small chirping, and pushed his paws into Petyr’s side with extra affection.

“Hmph,” was the only response I received, before he leaned his weight against me again. I was quick to catch his bowing head and heaved it to look upward, thereby, forcing him to look me directly in my eyes. His eyes shut instantly, so I did the only thing I could, I kissed him long and hard, enough for him to make a low moan at the back of his throat. I kissed him harder, using my arms to lean him upright with the little strength I had. He had no choice to comply, and soon his hands were pressed on either side of my head as he kissed me as though his entire life depended on it. “San,” he breathed out, for half a second, before he started to kiss me with unperpetrated desire. “San,” he repeated, like I was a life-line, the only light in the midst of a howling storm. He pushed me backwards onto the bench and climbed on top of me while the sharp squeak of Marlo could be heard, since I accidentally kicked him off the bench. Petyr lifted my head off the bench to take a good look at me, and even with his half-watered eyes I knew he truly loved me.

“Its okay,” I reminded him, as I stroked the outside of his left ear. “I’m right here.”

“I know.”  Petyr let his thumb trace my bottom lip, and only after he parted it from my top one, did he add, “Thank you, Sansa.”

I smiled against his lips, and with that he leaned forward to kiss me.

* * *

Petyr was leaning heavily on me as we were walking our way back to our rooms; we were down the last bit of hallway on the third floor when we heard some voices up ahead- it sounded like men. Petyr perked his head up, noticing the same thing, and I felt his weight on me lightened a subtraction as he stood up taller.

“That’s what I said,” joked a man, whose voice was coming from around the corner. “And I was like… who do you think you are?”

Another man’s voice broke out in laughter, and I was almost certain they were standing just outside of our room. Petyr lifted himself off me completely but made sure he held my hand tightly as we turned around the corner and looked at two men. _Black shirts,_ I realized, and instantly knew they were from the security quarter.

“Ah, they you are,” a small man with bright ginger coloured hair relayed, he was the smallest of the two, but clearly the most vocal. “You guys lost your way?”

“What do you want?” I asked, after Petyr had shielded me with his body weight.

“We came to escort you to Captain Ali’s office.”

“I don’t need an escort.”

“Apparently, you do,” he gibed, before he placed a toothpick between his thin lips. “The other one’s got to stay.”

Petyr squared his shoulders back as he bellowed out, “And do what exactly?”

“Sleep? What do I care! All I know, is the girl is coming with us.”

“He is coming with me,” I argued back. “Or not at all.”

“See,” the young man rapped out. “That’s what the Captain’s been warning us about!” The security guard was just reaching for his gun, when Petyr bent down low and grappled the man’s legs until he flew into the air and landed on the ground. I took matters into my own hands, and swung at the other guard’s face, he evaded it with a laugh, and I was just about to hit him the second time when Petyr came in the way.

“Dumb fuckers,” he yelled out, as he slammed the second guard into the wall with his side, and immediately drew out the man’s weapon to point it at his face.

“Please,” the stupid guard pleaded, and Petyr was just about to press the trigger when I shoved his hand to the right where he let out a fire into the wall. Electric blue lighting flared out, and it was only then that I realized it was set for taser.

“You could have killed him!”

“Only wish I did.”

“Petyr,” I panted, but the sound of shuffling took our attention back to the first guard. Petyr did not hesitate to fire at the attacker, and the young man shook violently just in front of us before he fell to the ground. “Thanks.”

“Oh, now I get a thank you.”

Petyr stuffed the armed weapon underneath his arm pit, and then pressed his hand to the security scanner to open it. “Mockingbird!” he yelled out into the darkened room, and then immediately grabbed the foot of the first guard to bring him inside.

“What are you doing?”

“Those handcuffs will be put into good use.”

“You’re going to tie him up?” I yelled out, while eagerly I followed him into the center of our room.

“Yup!” He grunted loudly, as he heaved the last of the guard onto the carpeted floor. “And you’re helping. Go fetch the handcuffs, will you?”

“Do you know how much trouble I will be in?”

“Not as much as Captain Ali,” he said with a wink, before he sauntered out the door for the next guard.

I ran up the stairs and went into my bedroom closet in search for the handcuffs. They were still locked away on the handrail, so with a quick chink of the key they were at my disposal again. By the time I made my way back into the living room, I heard a series of grunting downstairs and turned the corner to see Petyr rolling around on the ground with the largest security guard. “Ahh!” screamed the larger guard, as Petyr gabbed his thumb into the security guard’s eye. There was a loud smack, and the next thing I knew Petyr was rolled over on his back with the man quickly on top of him. I let out a panicked scream which drew both of their attention, and Petyr used that moment to thrust his knee into the man’s balls.

“Thanks, sweetling,” Petyr taunted, after he pushed the man off him. “Care to watch?” he laughed and took a hold of the man’s collar to bring him off the floor. “Nighty nighty!” His closed fist slammed dead center into the man’s face, he did it again and then again, and soon enough his fist was drenched in blood.

“Petyr!” I screamed, and then he suddenly stopped to see the damage he created. The man’s face was barely recognizable, and I could have sworn his nose was broken beyond repair. _Now he’s done it…_

Petyr dropped the security guard to the floor with a deafening thud. He wiped his bloody hand across his chest, smearing the blood over his crisp white uniform. “The cuffs,” he exclaimed, with his bloody hand reaching into the air towards me.

“What have you done?”

“The cuffs.” I timidly walked towards him and dropped it into my hands with a look of horror. Petyr cuffed the exhausted man’s hand to the one that was still lying unconscious from the taser he inflicted. “I’ll be back,” he told me, after he rung his bloody hand down the side of his face. “I need something.”

The man with the broken nose blinked up at me through puffy eyes. “Please,” he whispered, which made me walk away in horror. _He almost killed him._ “Please!”

I jolted in the air when something touched me from behind, it was just Petyr. “Where did you get that?” I anxiously asked, as I noticed he had a new set of handcuffs in hand.

“Ross,” he lazily replied, before he descended the rest of the three steps. He kicked the awakening man down, not wanting the ginger headed man to say another word. The cuffs clicked loudly in the room, and pretty soon they were both back to back heaving heavily with horror. “You have tape?”

“No.”

“I wanted to make sure they wouldn’t scream or something.”

“They are going to lock us up for this.”

“Self defense,” he urged with his back to me. “That’s what they’ll tell them.”

“They need medical attention.”

“I hardly think I would get any,” Petyr pointed out, as he looked at me from over his right shoulder. “Or you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.” He turned around with his hands on his hips to give me a hard, resolute look. “Maybe I should prove it.” He walked to the other side of the room with determined steps, and then pressed down on the communicator device on the wall. “The code to Captain Ali’s room?”

“Why?”

“The code,” he replied woodenly.

“2544”

The phone began to ring, sounding off in the room while Petyr irritably tapped his foot. “Sansa?” rang through the air, and Petyr and I noticed the surprise in the Captain’s voice.

“Its Petyr,” he quipped, with a dangerous look in his eyes. “But you weren’t expecting that, were you?”

“Sansa,” he spoke up in alarm.

“What did you intend to do with her?”

“Is she… alright?”

“What did you intend to do with _her?_ ” Petyr repeated in an even louder voice.

The Captain’s voice sounded weak when he uttered out, “I just wanted to talk.”

“With two armed guards.”

“It wasn’t meant for her.”

“No, it was meant for me,” Petyr spitefully replied. He looked down at the two guards, and then directed his gaze to me. I shook my head knowing he wanted to carry out vengeance, but this wasn’t the way to go. “What were you going to do then, eh?” Petyr demanded into the speakers. “Lock me up!”

“We just wanted to isolate her from you.”

“Keep me away from her,” he shouted out in a thick Irish brogue. “Tell her things!”

“It is not for us to tell.”

Petyr did an odd gesture then, connecting the tips of his fingers together and then sliding his hands from side to side awkwardly. “The past is the past.”

“Not for you, it isn’t.”

“That’s what the investigation was for, wasn’t it? To pile up information against me. To turn…” he tilted his head in my direction. “… Sansa against me!”

I walked towards him briskly, and instantly reached for his hands. “Petyr, what’s wrong? Tell me.”

He laid his hand over the side of my face, brushing my loose hair away from my face tenderly. I took a step back once I realized it was still covered in blood. “Its nothing.”

“You went too far,” I hushed with a nervousness that was quickly coming over me.

“They were going to hurt you.” He turned his mouth towards the speaker as he added, “Hurt us!”

“I wanted to ask her questions,” Captain Ali remonstrated. “Without your _unadulterated_ presence.”

“Fuck you!” I patted on Petyr’s chest to try and calm him down, it wasn’t working. “Fuck you, and your fucking meddling!”

“All the more reason I sent down guards.”

“I imagine you are sending some more up, eh? Until it becomes some sort of fucking showdown.”

“It won’t.”

“You expect me to surrender,” he jeered with untold malice in his voice.

“I will send no one up, as long as you send Sansa down,” he relayed in a soothing voice. “That is our exchange.”

Petyr darted his eyes at me, and I could sense the worry. “Will I see her again, if I do?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Can I trust you?”

“Considering you have two of my men, yes.”

Petyr looked at me, half terrified and yet half enraged. I grabbed a hold of hands, ignoring the slickness of it from the red blood that stained his hands. “I really am like Lady MacBeth, aren’t I?” I hushed, as I felt the transference of blood over me. “Petyr, I don’t want anything to happen to you. Stop while we still can.”

“You can’t live your life in fear.”

“This isn’t about fear,” I chided. “This is about common sense. What do you think will happen if we put up a fight?”

“We look stronger.”

“We go under custody, and then…” I pulled his head into whisper, so Captain Ali wouldn’t hear. “And then everything you want will go to waste.”

“And what do I want?” he asked with a serious look, half titling his head with curiosity.

“I know what you want.”

“Do you?” Petyr asked, while he cupped both sides of my cheeks.

“It’s the same thing I want,” I whispered into the small space between us. “Let me go downstairs.”

Petyr still maintained my hands as he dragged me closer to the communicator device. He cleared his voice loud enough to get the captain’s attention. “She’ll go.”

“Thank you,” Captain Ali promptly responded.

“Do I have your word that she’s safe?”

“She’s always been safe, _Petyr._ ” It was the first time he ever uttered his name, and I realized how harsh it sounded when Captain Ali pronounced it.

“Your men stay with me.”

“Like a bargaining chip?”

“Think of it as insurance.”

Captain’s Ali voice almost sounded sinister-like as he uttered, “Indeed.”

“You got thirty minutes with her. I’m counting!”

“When she comes back, she will be escorted with guards to take away the ones you already have.”

“Two! Only two are allowed with her.”

“If you say so.”

Petyr had a look that proved he didn’t trust him one bit. “That’s all. She’s leaving now,” he concluded, and then pressed the orange button to shut it off. “What’s Ross’ number?”

“What?”

“I need her to bring Oberyn Martell up here.”

“Why?”

“Because I need help,” he stated. “I need you by my side,” he breathed, with his face hovering over mine. “I don’t want you to go, but if you do… I will need Oberyn’s assistance. He is highly skilled with weaponry and armed combat, so if I come into any trouble while your gone, well…” He laid a kiss on the tip of my nose. “He will know what to do.”

“Thirty minutes,” I reminded him, before I pecked his lips lightly.

Petyr pulled me in, wrapping both of his arms around me with a possessive nature about him. “You have thirty minutes. Any longer, and I’m coming for you.”

“And then what?” I taunted, liking the alluring darkness to his eyes.

“Then, I will cut down _anyone_ that gets in our way. Alright?”

“I’ll make sure I’m back.” I let him kiss me, feeling the lingering sensation that stretched out until he let his lips wander to the side of my cheek. I wrapped my arms around him, not wanting to go, fearing that this might in fact be my last time with him. _Its so close to the time,_ a small part of me fretted, _what if history is determined to repeat itself._ “Forget calling,” I told him. “We were just there when we dropped off Marlo, so go back and figure out what you need to do. Leave the guards here, they mean nothing to Ali.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive,” I said in an exacting tone of voice. “Plus, if he sends a troupe of armed guards at least you won’t be here to meet them.”

“If something happens where will I find you? Just in case,” he urged, with his mouth once again hovering over mine.

I closed my eyes and let my face fall over the side of Petyr’s. _Where is somewhere safe,_ I wondered, and searched my mind for the right avenue. “Do you remember that staircase on the first night? You kissed me there."

“I remember.”

“If something should happen… we meet there.”

“Agreed.”

I let him kiss me one last time, before I forcibly broke out of his arms. Petyr continued to hold my hand, however, and didn’t let go until I reached the elevator doors. “I’m counting,” he reminded me, before he raised both of his newly acquired taser guns at me to prove his point. The last sight of him, was him sprinting down the long hallway in search of Oberyn’s room. 

* * *

I was shoved into Captain Ali’s room by a guard, and I had every inclination to hit him, but I knew now was not the time for such antics. There were other matters to attend too, and Captain Ali was the greatest of them all.  

“You look almost wild like,” he observed, as he leaned back in his comfy office chair. He had his brown hat off for once, and I noticed the length of his dark brown hair that was rather bushy, reminiscent of a small child in a way. Ali’s dark brown eyes inquisitively stared at me, a long smile graced his face the longer I tried to evade his eyes. “What has that Petyr done to you?”

“Why am I up here?” I demanded, refusing to take the seat that he kicked out for me, from underneath his desk. “Why was there guards?”

“Because you were armed,” he pointed out, while his eyes lingered at my empty gun strap. “And dangerous.”

“You allowed me that gun!”

“Yes, and I have every inclination to take it back.” He puckered his lips funnily, while he turned his head to the wall with a mirror beside him. “I take it you shot at my guards.”

“They tried to attack Petyr,” I half lied.

“Because he refused to let you go.”

“I refused,” I corrected. I pointed my finger at my chest as I protested, “I can speak for myself, you know.”

“I thought you were a parrot,” he mocked. “At least whenever you are around him.”

“Are you quite finished! Why am I here?” I drawled out with a voice filled with indigniation.

“I wanted to ask you about the expedition tomorrow afternoon.” He pulled out a file from his drawer and slammed it down on the table in front of us. “I will have to fill out documents of who is going with you, and I need it done by tonight.”

“Fine!”

“Do you have a list?”

“In my head.” I took a step forward and with a sharpness to my voice I questioned: “Is that all?”

“That was all?”

“You realize there are two injured people downstairs… I almost got hurt, because you had a stupid question to ask.”

“All needless.”

“The very air you breath is needless,” I shot out without thinking. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”

“You mean Petyr,” Captain Ali corrected. He interlaced his fingers together and laid it on the desk in front of him. “This is just a test, Sansa, a simple test to show how truly dangerous he is.”

“You did this on purpose.”

“I was curious how he would behave, yes!” He banged his closed fist on the paper as he added, “Give me a list, Sansa, our thirty minutes are almost up.”

“Is this some kind of game?”

“No.”

“Because it feels like it is! Some sick game… did Richards put you up to this?”

“No one did,” he reaffirmed, and released his fingers all together until they laid flat on the desk. “The list.”

“Petyr!”

He pulled out a tablet and set it on auto display for us both to see. “I assumed so,” he noted, as he typed the name down on the light blue page that stood between us both. “Who else?”

“Jon.”

“Okay.”

“Richards, although I will probably regret it.” The Captain said nothing, but I noticed the strange look about his eyes as he quickly typed in the names. “Mariam, Theodore, The Hound, Andrews.” I paused for deliberate purposes and crossed my arms for extra measure before I added, “Oberyn and Ross.”

“That is completely out of the question.”

“It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.”

“Its against all protocols.”

“And yet, you said nothing when I mentioned Petyr.”

“Because I didn’t want to get in an argument with you!” fumed Captain Ali. He peered through the thin blue lighting of the hovering page as he denoted, “You and I know it would be world war five if we-”

“- they are coming,” I interrupted. “Your little display upstairs just proved I can no longer trust you.”

“Oh, and trust him?” he barked out. “That is just what he wants!”

“You should have thought of that, _before_ you sent two guards to my room.”

My Captain grunted very loudly, and rather long to show his disapproval. “I better not regret this,” he muttered, as he typed out their two names. “Who else?”

“Douglas.”

“Who?”

“And old friend,” I assured him as I leaned against the front of his chair. “And I haven’t met them before but Osen and Raphael.” _They are both brown shirts,_ I took note, and felt I at least had someone the old Petyr could trust. “That’s it.”

“That’s it,” he repeated, after he shut the hovering monitor down. A tense silence fell between us, as we both harboured our own resentment. “You have five minutes. Is there anything else you want to say?”

_Go to hell._

“Sansa?”

_But that won’t get me anywhere._

Captain Ali rose from his seat, appearing alarmed by my preserving silence. “I was only trying to prove a point. The man you are with is _very_ dangerous, more than you could possibly realize.”

“Where are the two armed guards that are supposed to escort me back to my room?” I inquired, after I completely disregarded his words of warning.

“Outside.”

“Then I am ready to leave.”

“You will not hear me out?”

“No! I will not hear anything else from you.” Captain Ali reached for my arm to implore me to stay, but I side swiped him with my own hand until he took a step back. “And don’t go near me or Petyr again.”

“Sansa,” he entreated, not liking this division of hatred that came between us. “I am only trying to help.”

“Your five minutes are almost up, I suggest you let me leave now.”

He raised his hand in acceptance, and with that I was free to exit his office. He leaned out the door as he watched me be surrounded by his two guards. “I hope we do not part on bad terms,” he yelled out, but I simply ignored him and turned the corner that would take me to the elevator doors.

_He should have thought of that, before he tried to separate Petyr and I._

The younger guard pressed down on the elevator button, and I wondered what would happen when they find the other two guards handcuffed in my room. _Captain Ali will have a fit, I surmised, let him have one._

The elevator door opened up, filled with people, but the only one that caught my eye was Richards. He stopped dead in his tracks in front of me, noticing the two armed guards on either side of me with a weapon at the ready. “What did you do now?” he sadly asked. “To get in this mess?”

“You should ask Captain Ali that.”

“Sansa,” he pleaded, but caught the coldness to my frosty blue eyes. “I’ll talk to him.” I nodded my head lightly, thankful that he showed some act of kindness before one of the guards pushed me past him. “Please, take care of yourself!” he shouted out, as the elevator door closed between us.

The doors shut sternly, and at that moment I knew that I already had. I looked to the left and right of me, noticing the guards were more interested in the silver door in front of us than me. “So, when do I get my gun back?” I inquired like a spoiled brat. There was no answer, so I sized them up again before I let myself fall into their natural silence. The elevator hummed as it zoomed upwards, and a part of me feared what their reaction would be once the door opened.

The door dinged loudly, and a tall well-shaped woman was waiting outside with a red lollipop in hand. _Ross,_ I realized, and felt things would finally turn to my favour. “Hello fellas,” she cooed, while lustfully eyeing the two men. They ignored her, unfortunately, and grabbed a hold of my arms as they led me out the elevator door. Ross watched us with vague disinterest, though I knew she had a plan with the look in her eyes. She walked the opposite direction, whistling a little tune and I could only hope Petyr was nearby.

“Open it,” charged one of the guards, an elderly sort of man with a roughness about his tired visage. He was grey and old, and no match for my Petyr even with a gun. I laid my hand on the security monitor and heard the lock crack open from the other side. The room was pitch-black after the elderly man unlocked the door and I noticed a slight nervousness in his movements as he stepped in. “What happened to the lights?”

“I don’t know,” I lied, as I stood outside the door. “The switch should be just inside.” I took a step back just in case, but found I had bumped into the younger one. He ordered me to move, and with slight reluctance I stumbled into the room after a heavy push. “Mockingbird,” I finally relayed, and wasn’t surprised when I saw the two men sitting on the floor still in chains. I was shocked, however, when I realized they had pillowcases over their heads.

“Weapons up,” a deep voice drawled out with a Spanish accent, and when we turned to look behind us, we realized he was right behind the door. “Did you not hear what I said?”

The younger guard with dirty blond hair swivelled around quickly with his weapon, but I anticipated this action and was quick to smack the gun out of his hand. He was ready to strike me instead, but the loud tsking from the Spanish man made him rethink it. “So quick to strike a girl?” He uttered with a smooth narrowing of his eyes.

“I think we should cut off his hand,” a soft, feminine voice cooed from the open doorway, and there it was, Ross who almost glided over the threshold in a beautifully dark floral dress. “What do you say, Martell?”

“I say it would be messy,” he said, as he readjusted the sash around his golden silk housecoat. The older security guard was smart enough to not put up his fight, for he was keenly aware of the dark impenetrable eyes peering at him from the other side of the couch. He had noticed Petyr even before myself, and it was only when I fondled this newly acquired gun in my hand did I hear a small chuckle come from Petyr.

Ross elegantly glided around me, until she could face the two guards. “Hand me your gun,” she purred to the older gent, and held out her hand in utter bravery even though he was clearly armed. Ross flicked her fingers upwards, and the man wavered for a moment longer before he placed it in her hands. “Now take your men, we don’t need them anymore.”

The elder man knocked his partner on the arm, and at the same time they went over to the two injured men to lift them off the floor. “Don’t take off the pillowcases till you reach Captain Ali,” Petyr bellowed out, while he remained uncover. “I left a little message for him.”

There were a few painful grunts from the men that were injured, but that did not stop the other two black shirts from carrying them out of the room. “The key,” I shouted at Petyr, before Oberyn had time to shut the door entirely.

“Let them come looking for it,” Petyr gibed, and only when he heard the door lock completely did he run his way over to me. “Are you alright?” he asked, as he spun me around with one hand to quickly examine me. “Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine.”

“What did he want?”

I shut the glowing blue gun down as I admitted, “He wanted to know who was joining me on the expedition tomorrow?”

“And?”

“I gave him a list.” I let my eyes flicker to Oberyn and Ross as I mused aloud, “You’re on it.”

“That is excellent news.”

“It was a test to see how you would react, or at least behave. Captain Ali seems satisfied with his results.”

“Let him! He has shown his hand, and I’ve shown mine.”

“He has power, you know. We’re not safe here… not anymore.”

“We leave by tomorrow,” Petyr reminded me with a strong hand gripping my right forearm. “Who knows, we might never see him again?”

“A lot can happen between right now and tomorrow.”

“Why worry?” He positioned my body to be completely in front of him and leaned forward till our faces were nearly touching. “I have no intention of letting you go.”

“I don’t want anything to happen, that’s all.”

Oberyn smooth voice gave us extra reassurance as he suggested: “You are welcome to stay at our place. There is strength in numbers.”

“And we have Marlo,” Ross added. “And a bed for you both.”

“I don’t know,” I confessed aloud, knowing Petyr could read the uneasiness in my eyes.

Petyr flung both of his arms around me and pulled me in with affection I didn’t quite deserve at that moment. “We made an agreement,” he announced to the room. “To be only committed to ourselves.” Oberyn laughed whole heartedly at that, and Ross leaned in between us with her mouth gaping wide with amazement. “I know,” he said to them both. “I can hardly believe it myself.”

“Sansa!” Ross exclaimed. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, you did something,” she chided with a happy expression. She leaned in to kiss Petyr on the cheek, amazed by the prideful glint in his eyes before she kissed the side of my cheek as well. “What’s next? Getting married? Having a baby?”

I looked down instantly and felt the insides of me going cold at that moment. I must have faded out for a moment, because Petyr was shaking me in his arms. “Sansa,” I heard off in the distance, but once it was repeated his voice slowly became clearer. “Are you alright?” I nodded my head in acknowledgment, vaguely hearing the rest of his words. “Sansa!”

“Yes?” I piped up, after a few nervous blinks.

“I thought I lost you for a moment? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Did the Captain give you something?”

“No, its fine.”

“You can tell me, you know?”

“I’m just happy we’re all safe.”

“Yes, of course,” he agreed, and pulled me in further to kiss me on the lips. I leaned against his chest once he was done, not minding the smell of sweat and blood emitting from him once we were so close to each other. I looked down to see the blood-stained carpet that was once covered in spotless white. _It feels kind of like me,_ I thought, and wondered if all the good of me was slowly slipping away. “Do you think there will be anymore trouble?”

“From the Captain?” I breathed into his neck.

“He won’t like the note I wrote.”

“Oh, Petyr,” I scolded, knowing it wouldn’t lead to any good.

“Just a warning,” he promised me. “Let’s stay at Ross tonight, eh? It will make sure nothing happens to us.”

“I don’t know.”

“They won’t do anything.”

“I just imagine them doing stuff in front of us,” I surmised with an embarrassed look. “Or the other way around.”

“Yeah, you’re not that kind of girl yet,” he noted. “Alright, but I probably won’t sleep a wink if we stay here.”

“Why?”

“Cause I’m the only thing standing in their way,” he told me with the uttermost confidence.

“No, we can go over and stay for a bit,” I consented. “But if it gets too much, you will let me leave, right?”

“Yes, of course we will.” He took my hand and led me over to his long-time friends, and with our guns at the ready we opened the door and headed towards Ross’ room.

* * *

Ross took a seat next to me, with something clutched tightly in the palm of her hand. Petyr was in the shower, washing off the blood that stained his uniform and once pale white hands. Oberyn was cleaning up the kitchen, since Ross had chided him about the mess that could be seen by their visitors. I was content looking out the window while sitting on the edge of Petyr’s bed, but something about the warm comforting feeling emitting off Ross made me accept her as my silent companion.

She was dressed in a comfortable night robe now, a warm dark orange that reminded me of some tropical flower. It hung loose around her body, ready to come off at every moment, and I was certain that would be the case soon enough if Oberyn had his way. Three colourful tattoos were imprinted on her left shoulder: a light sky blue, dark fusion red and a deep violet coloured roses with a beaded design dangling beneath them. A dark blue butterfly sat on the highest rose, and I thought the tattoo suited her for some reason. “Does everyone have a tattoo where you’re from?”

She looked down at the markings on her shoulder and rubbed the colourful surface fondly. “Just about.” She opened the palm of her hand and handed a small photograph to me; a glowing image that resembled a small tablet. “I wanted to show you this,” she commented, and pointed at the image that captured Petyr and herself. “It was at an art gala about three weeks ago.”

“You look so beautiful!” I admitted, seeing her dressed in a shimmering bronze gown that fitted her curves perfectly. It went well with her chestnut brown hair and tanned complexion, and I knew even Petyr couldn’t even deny her that pleasure by the look in his eyes. “Petyr is dressed well too.”

“Yes, he always does for those kind of things,” she almost laughed, and pointed at his hair that he managed to comb back neatly. “Its like night and day with him.”

“I forgot about that moustache.”

“I’m grateful he finally shaved it off. All thanks to you.” She moved in closer as she added, “But you know he simply wears it to fit in?”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah! Anyone who is anyone is sporting a moustache right now. Its just the style, you see.”

“I never knew Petyr would fall into that kind of thing,” I hushed, just in case he came out of the bathroom doors.

“Sometimes you have too,” she murmured. “Its like playing a game, he says. Let them believe on thing, while you’re another.”

“Like a mask,” I bemused. “That sounds like him.”

Ross took the picture from me and stared at it fondly. It was hard to tell what captivated her most, but she left those private thoughts to herself. “It took him two days to find a suit that colour,” she mused aloud. It was a rich emerald green, denoting of royalty by the expensive fabric that looked very rare indeed. “And in the end, he didn’t buy a thing at the gala.”

“Then why did he go?”

“To speak to someone,” she quietly replied. “Sometimes it is best to do it out in the open, then in private.”

“You make him sound like a spy.” Ross tilted her head in silent answer, as if my comment amused her. “Is he?”

“No,” she chuckled to herself. “He’s not a spy.”

Oberyn came over to assault Ross with his kisses, and I quietly slinked away to find a corner of the room where the overly affectionate couple were not located. Sitting down on the tiled floor of the kitchen I spent the rest of my time fluffing up Marlo’s fur, and wondering what was taking Petyr so long to come out of the shower.

There was a knock on the door, and the room instantly went silent. “Grab a gun,” Oberyn ordered, and then I heard his padded feet headed in my direction. “Perfect hiding spot,” he observed, and handed me one of the taser guns I took from the first security officers. “Stay put.”

Ross came up behind him, with a face that showed no sign of worry. “I ordered food, it should be fine,” she promised. “Stay quiet,” she warned, before she left my side once more.

It was a delivery man at the door, not exactly pleased to be bringing food up here. “You know this is against protocol,” he reminded Ross. I peaked around the corner to see Oberyn was hiding behind the door with his gun at the ready just in case. “You are supposed to go downstairs to eat.”

“My partner is sick,” Ross dramatically said. “His head is hovering right over the toilet right now, and there is no way he can make it downstairs in that condition.”

“You should take him to the doctors.”

“I already have,” she complained. “But I am so grateful you brought us food,” she cooed in a pleasurable voice that probably brought the man to his knees. “I haven’t had a bite all day.”

“That explains why there is so much.” There was a momentary pause before he asked, “It’s a lot to carry! I even have a cart, you see, do you want me to roll it inside?”

Oberyn shook his head in denial, so Ross declined the man’s offer and suggested she do it herself. “I will leave the cart outside when we’re done.”

“Sure, I will come and pick it up later.” _She’s got him wrapped around her little finger._ “I’ll come back later tonight?”

“Please, do.” The door softly slammed between them, and then I heard the automated blue gun shut off next to the solid wall where Oberyn was hiding. “He takes me for an idiot.” I peaked over the top of the countertop to see Oberyn with a wicked smile, probably taking pleasure that yet another man was fawning over Ross. “Sansa, you can come out now. Where is Petyr?” I heard her knocking on the bathroom door as I raised myself from the ground and had the displeasure to see Petyr open the door fully naked. “What’s the matter?”

“I have a bad wound I was taking care of it.”

“Well, hurry up.”

“Where’s Sansa?”

I went around the kitchen countertop with flushed cheeks, feeling odd that no one even batted an eye at Petyr standing fully naked. “I’m right here.”

“I don’t have a uniform to wear. Can someone ask if I can borrow Oberyn’s clothes?”

Ross assured him that she would and was about to close the door to give him privacy when he held it open with a strong hand. “I’ll just ask him myself.”

 _Can he at least wear a towel,_ I thought, but no- he had to walk around completely naked until he stood right behind Oberyn who was chewing down on the piping hot pizza. “Don’t tempt me,” Oberyn gibed, after he noticed Petyr was fully naked behind him.

“Clothes.”

“What if I don’t want you to put on clothes.” I covered my mouth at this point to cover my laughter, finding it funny that every single person in this room wanted a piece of him. “What if I missed this?”

“The answer is no,” Petyr woodenly replied. “Clothes.”

“Yeah, I have a few left,” he said with a full mouth. “Next to the bed stand. Don’t wear anything too nice!”

“Why not?” Petyr asked, as he walked away from him.

“Because you will probably get blood all over it, knowing you.” I went over to help Petyr, and together we picked out a creamy white dress shirt and long black pants. It was too large for him, so he had to roll up the sleeves and unbutton the first few buttons to his shirt to mitigate the large size. “You look like an Italian,” Oberyn laughed, and Petyr only grunted at him as he rolled up the cuffs to his pants as well. “A real mob boss.”

Ross went up behind her partner as she commented, “But that’s not so far from the truth, is it Pete?”

He gave her a look that warned her to be silent, but it was too late, I had already caught her drift. “You really are something, huh.” Petyr turned his gaze to me with a look of pain. “You don’t have to hide the truth from me,” I reminded him, wishing there wasn’t so many walls between us.

“Quite the contrary,” he pondered aloud, while he tucked the baggy dress shirt into the seams of his pants. “I need a belt.”

“I have one,” Oberyn pursued, and dug into the deep black box until he unearthed a belt for his friend to wear. “For once I have something practical.”

“For once.” He turned his gaze to me with a hardened look, a trait that told me he had quite a number of plans going on in his head at that moment. “We need to talk.”

“Okay.”

“Is there anyone you can trust other than the people in this room.”

“Jon.”

“The same one I punched in the face,” he mockingly shot back. “With the black eye?”

“That’s my brother.”

“Anyone more useful?”

He was charging out of the dark corner now, heading to an unknown direction. “To what degree?” I questioned him, while I followed his sure footsteps.

“To know they won’t suddenly change their minds if their lives are at risk.”

“Jon would die for me.”

“Would he?” he asked with suspicion.

“Why would he not?”

“Is there anyone _your_ Petyr trusted?”

“Everyone in the Elisium Council.”

“That is completely out of the question,” he quipped, after he opened the bathroom door. The mirrors were still foggy, but he tried to peer at the mirror to see if he looked reasonably presentable. “Half of them hate me.”

“They don’t hate you,” I rebutted.

“They don’t love me,” Petyr argued back, as he reached over for a comb to brush his curls back. “Anyone else?”

“I have a list… of people Petyr used to employ for his own purposes. He called them ‘The Brown Shirts’ and they-”

“Worked for him,” Petyr snarled with a hint of glee. “Like personal body guards?”

“Yeah, and they did his dirty work,” I revealed with some reluctance. “He wasn’t as good as I made him out to be.”

“Interesting,” he bellowed out, as he stared at his clear reflection. The shadows and mist that once clung to the mirror was gone once more. “Very interesting.”

“But he wasn’t as bad as you.”

Petyr smirked at himself in the mirror, and I knew that this reflection was quite apt to his true self. “You have the list?”

“Its in the room.”

“Our room?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go.” He took my hand and pulled me out of the bathroom at a quickened pace. “While you are there, change your clothes. You’ve got blood on it.” He grabbed a hold of a gun with his free hand and then offered it to me. “I might have to change mine as well, if I’m to keep up with the image.”

I thrust the gun into the empty strap around my hip as he continued to tug me towards the door. “What image?”

“That I’m just like your Petyr, sweetling.” He kissed Ross on the cheek on his way out and gave a quick nod to Oberyn before he exited their den, as he so fondly called it. “Its 16:00 so we still have time to catch them,” he observed. “But we have to stay on guard.”

“Then we should leave the guns.”

“No, take it,” he answered me, before he turned on the automated gun and crept across the floor like he belonged in the military. “Stay close to the wall and behind me,” he ordered, and we took our time walking down the hallway as we approached the dreaded corner.

“You think there is anyone inside?”

“They would need my handprint or yours.”

“Not if you’re Captain Ali,” I confided with slight reluctance. “He can go into any room on this ship.”

“Infinite power.”

“You can say that.”

He turned to look over his shoulder with a startling look in his eyes. “It is,” he breathed, before he turned to look straight ahead and bolted for the door. I ran after him and waited for him to lay his hand on the security scanner. The lock chinked open and Petyr let out a sharp breath before he forced the door open. The room was pitch-black, but there was little comfort at that. “Mockingbird!” Petyr yelled out, as he hid behind the entrance doorway. The lights flickered on, and he signaled for me to wait before he crept in through the doorway with his gun at the ready. A few minutes passed, and then I heard: “All clear!”

I ran into the room and fell into his arms, grateful that are room was still safe for the present moment. “Wait, let me lock the door,” I reminded him, since he was so determined to not let me out of his arms. “Then I will grab the list.”

“And anything else we might need.”

“Like what?”

“Not sure if its safe to come back,” he mused aloud. “Just trust me.”

 _I do,_ I thought, and pulled at his hand for him to come with me as I ran up the stairs to retrieve the list.

* * *

I was sitting on a corner table, my eyes looking over Petyr’s shoulder to look at the green digits blinking from the clock. _Less than forty-two minutes to go…_

Petyr sipped on his glass of water in front of me, and then tilted his back to the wall since there was nothing for him to really look at. He was on guard still, eyes flickering to the gun tucked away in my strap, while probably wishing he had his own. The chicken wings on the table in front of us were still untouched; it had been that way for the past few minutes. Music was blaring from the speakers overhead, giving life to this dreary looking bar we ended up in. The list was neatly folded in my side pocket, and I was eagerly scanning the crowded room to recognize anyone on the list. I was starting to wonder if we should mingle but being the only woman in this bar already put me at risk. Not to mention, we were the only ones dressed in an all white uniform.

“Maybe this was a mistake,” I voiced aloud, over the loud lyrics of _Mr. Blue Sky._

“It was mistake taking a seat right away,” he argued back.

“They were staring at us like we were some deer in headlights.”

“They know who you are,” he shot back. “And me.”

“A dead man coming back to life.”

Petyr nodded his head at me, still maintain eye contact with the moving crowd that encircled a table where they were playing poker. It was rather fitting, seeing that this was a small bar right next to the engineering department. Jon had warned me about this place once, complaining the worst people possible always ended up at the _Hanger_. Petyr turned his gaze to me as he inquired, “You recognize any one?”

“Only one.” I nodded my head in the direction where the Hound was looking absolutely miserable over his pale pint of ale. “He doesn’t look like he is in the mood to talk.”

“He’s huge.”

“Yeah.”

“He worked for your Petyr?”

“Yeah, and he saved my life once.” I shivered visibly as a sudden recollection came over me, seeing the maddening look Ramsay gave me as he dragged me out of the ship’s hanger. “He was lucky to find me when he did.”

“You should talk to him,” Petyr suggested, as he eyed the wings with a look of hesitation. “Its better than eating this.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re not scared of him.”

“No, its not that.” I looked down at my hand and fidgeted with the golden ring that the old Petyr had gifted me. “I just hope I don’t go over there and regret it.”

Fortunately for us, someone turned around and immediately smiled at the sight of us. He stumbled over with a black narrow bottle in hand and a laugh that caught a lot of people’s attention. “Spock!” he screamed out and pushed his way past people till he approached our table. “How are you?”

Petyr looked at the man in utter confusion, so it was up to me to intervene. “It’s not Spock.”

“Uhura,” he laughed, and wrapped his arm around me without realizing the protectively jealous look crossing Petyr’s stony visage. “It’s been a long time,” he said in his familiar South American accent. “I heard you signed me up for the Dolus expedition.”

“You know?”

“Oh yeah,” he chuckled, as he slammed down his full beer on the table. “Got a call from the Captain while I was still on shift.”

“So, quick?”

“So, this is the new face of Petyr?” He reached over and prodded the man on the side of the shoulder to make sure he was real. “Mirror Spock.”

“Douglas,” I scolded, hating him for bringing up such nonsense. “He doesn’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Not a fan of Star Trek either, huh?” he yelled over the country music. Petyr pursed his lips with annoyance, obviously not willing to play Douglas’ little game. “They look just the same!” Douglas yelled out with disbelief. “But he’s much bigger! Been hitting the gym?”

Petyr raised his eyebrows at me, clearly showing he was quite done with this conversation.

“Douglas, we are looking for some people,” I practically yelled into his ear, for the men were starting to sing along to _Take Me Home, Country Roads_ in a drunken ballad. “People who used to wear the brown uniform.”

“Oh?”

“Can you help us?”

“The two of you are in trouble?”

“Possibly.” I looked across the table and added, “At least, this new Petyr is.”

“They don’t want you here,” Douglas slurred. “Petyr was liked, aye, even loved! But he was feared as well.”

“Why?”

“He was a powerful man,” he laughed at me. “Leader of the Zimmerman Project, Head of the Artificial Department at Vasken Industry. One of the big wigs at Vasken, the ‘untouchables’ as I call it. Also, probably one of the richest men you’ll ever meet.”

“Is that how he payed for the Brown Shirts?”

“I imagine so, but you could always ask.”

I looked past Petyr’s shoulder to see the time was 16:30, and then directed my gaze to the Hound to make sure he was unarmed. “Is it wise?”

Douglas was drunk, but aware enough to catch my lingering gaze on the Hound. “Ask someone else,” he proposed, and pointed at a large Asian man throwing darts onto the far side wall. “I heard he got a call from Captain Ali too. Think he is going on the expedition as well.”

“He’s almost as large as Kong,” I realized, and could only hope he was Osen or Raphael.

“A friend of Kong,” Douglas blurted out. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

He kept his arm around me with his bottle at the ready as he pushed his way through the crowd. Petyr was right behind me, on high alert as he sized up each man we were passing. I knew he didn’t like how close Douglas was to me, but he knew it was a sacrifice we had to make to make contact with the Brown Shirts. “Osen?” Douglas questioned, after the man successfully threw the dart in the center circle. _Bull’s eye._

“Who’s asking?” he asked with his back to us.

“Douglas.”

“The Driver?"

“The same.”

“Heard you’ve been out of job ever since we left Plegethon.”

“Could say the same to you,” Douglas rapped out, before he pulled me closer to the six-foot man. “We’ve all been down on hard luck.”

Osen threw his last dart and missed by a small margin. _He lost his focus._ “What do you want?” he asked as he dug his hands into both of his pockets. Osen took his time turning around to look at us and was somewhat startled to see Petyr and I. “Lord Baelish?” he asked in surprise, before he remembered that man was dead and gone. “Oh, you’re the other one.”

“I’m the same man,” Petyr drawled.

“No, you don’t stand the same,” he observed. Osen turned back to his dart board and took his time to pluck the red and white darts off one by one. “You don’t walk the same either,” he said over his shoulder, and paused deliberately before he took the last one off the dart board. “Its like a stray dog,” he mused aloud. “You see them out in the street and their wild. Got their fangs out at the ready, running and feasting on whatever they can find.” He turned around to face us completely as he added, “That’s you.”

“Is it?”

“The other Petyr was like some posh owners dog lounging on their sofa or something. Having the owner’s meal and probably going to bed with them. The life of luxury, but you never had that.”

Petyr crossed his arms beside me, clearly rattled by Osen’s words. “Perhaps, I hadn’t.”

“I’m good at reading people,” he explained. Osen dropped the darts on a nearby table, and then took his sweet old time to join our little circle. “And I know you want something, so just spit it out.”

“You talked to the other Petyr like that?”

“The other Petyr would never come down here, so what do you want?”

“Protection.”

“From who?”

“The men in black uniforms."

“That’s at least sixty men and women.”

“They work for Captain Ali, and right now I think he wants to get rid of me.”

“Paranoia, or you got evidence?”

I took a step in front of Petyr and explained, “They had two armed guards try and take me to his office a few hours ago. We had to put up a fight… a real one. The Petyr I knew died at least four minutes from now, and I don’t want the same thing to happen again, so will you help us?”

“You know the exact time.”

“Yeah, I know it.” I could still see Doctor Wong writing down the time in the small black box on the blue hover monitor, signing it with her signature to document the day and time of Petyr's death. “So, will you help us?

“What can happen in four minutes?"

“A lot!” I yelled out in frustration, but Petyr was quick to pull me back into his frame.

“As you can see, Sansa is quite worried,” Petyr butted in. “Will you help us?”

“Sure, but I want some compensation.”

I gaped my mouth at him in disgust, knowing there was no monetary transactions ever since we left the planet Plegethon. The workers were being paid, but it was more hypothetical, a real monetary fee wouldn’t be dispersed until we could have access to a real banking system on an actual planet. _Trying getting paid from a dead man,_ I pondered, knowing it would be harder to pay the workers on Ares now that he's gone.

“Fine, what do you want?” Petyr snapped with a tighter grip over me.

“A way out of this shit hole.”

“So, do I. Maybe we can work together.”

“How?”

“Word is there might be a way out of here, if we land on Dolus. I’m willing to take that chance.”

 _No there isn’t,_ I thought, and was about to argue back when I felt a tight grip around my wrist by Petyr.

“Is that so?”

“It is,” Petyr sneered. “Top secret I might add, but having the face of this other Petyr might help.”

“Alright, you have a deal.” Osen stretched out his hand and shook Petyr with a firm grip. “You’re not going to blab this to everyone.”

“No, are you?” Petyr asked in a thin raspy voice, a sound that reminded me how far he was willing to go to protect us.

“I won’t say anything,” Osen muttered. “You might as well talk to the Hound next. He would be willing to help, if you told him the same thing.”

“Gladly.”

“Come, I’ll take you to him,” Osen suggested, and I took a quick glance over my shoulder to see it was the exact time of Petyr’s death. I gripped my hand around Petyr’s forearm, not wanting him to take a step forward.

“San,” he breathed, after I forced him to stand still. “What is it?”

“Don’t go.”

“We have too.”

“Stay with me, for just this minute.”

“What is it?”

“Its…”

Petyr looked behind him and noticed the time. _16:42._ Petyr lifted his hands to the side of my cheek and smiled at me sweetly. “I’m not going anywhere.” His lips crushed against mine, and I felt a wave of relief as he kissed me hard enough to smooth out all my worries. “I’m right here,” he promised me, and then drew my head into his chest to calm me down for a moment. “It will pass,” he quaked, and the next time I looked over his shoulder I saw that his words were true. “Come on,” he urged, and with a tiny tug of my hand we were formally introduced to the Hound.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter was a bit of a rat race. Sorry, if it was too fast paced for you. The next chapter should see the couple on Dolus, so hopefully that makes up for it.
> 
> Hope to see you guys then,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish
> 
> P.S. Yeah, this title is a shout out to the tenth doctor's episode "42" I'm a whovian for life, it had to come out of my writing at some point.


	21. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning of their departure to the planet, Dolus. Petyr and Sansa try and savour their last few hours on Ares together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Here comes the fluff :)
> 
> Special thanks for Quoyan_XI for cheering me up with her fic "Another December" and inspiring me to write something with a more lighter tune. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you to everyone else who took the time to read this.

Petyr shot me a dashing grin before he hopped on the platform and strode across the narrow walkway. _He thinks he’s so clever,_ I thought, as he stood there plainly in his boxers. “Like what you see?” he taunted, as he read the expression that was slowly coming across my face.

“Careful,” I warned, as I unclasped my hands and let it fall over to my sides. “Or you might get me jealous.”

He looked over my shoulder and took note of Mariam as well, knowing full well my opinion of her. “I don’t know what you mean,” he teased, and winked at me before he raised his arms upwards to his sides. “Alright, Mar! I’m ready.”

“Give me two seconds,” she begged as she tinkered away at the Beeswiz suit that she was readjusting for him.

I walked over to the platform with narrowed eyes. “You didn’t have to take off everything you know.”

“I still have something on,” he pointed out, and shook the bottom of his boxers to prove his point. “Besides, I thought I’d give you a show.”

“Me _or_ her?”

“You really are adorable when your annoyed.”

I crossed my arms at him, and he did his best to tighten his lips, so he wouldn’t laugh. We heard Mariam unsnapping something on his suit, which took our attention away for a moment. “Do you need a fitting too?”

“Already had one,” I informed him. “Last time I had it, Petyr and I had a fight.”

“Oh, what about?” he asked with obvious glee.

“He undressed me till I was naked, and then suddenly changed his mind.”

“He doesn’t sound like me at all,” he purred in a deeply seductive voice. I knew he was craving sex since yesterday but considering how little sleep we both got, it was completely off the table. I managed to have a good night’s rest, while Petyr spent most of it on guard with a series of highly classified information of Dolus at his disposal. It was a night of research for him, and a night of blissful rest for myself; it was clearly evident by the tired lines under his eyes, but Petyr did his best to pretend he was his normal self this morning. “You know,” Petyr pursued. “If you were completely undressed nothing in the world could change my mind from having you.”

My cheeks began to blush a bright red, and it grew worse when I heard Mariam drop something on the floor. _I forgot she was there,_ I realized, and closed my eyes in half embarrassment. “So, what made him change his mind?” Petyr abruptly asked, clearly ignoring my change of behaviour.

“He didn’t want to tell me how he got his scar.”

“Was it embarrassing?”

“It had something to do with a wife he didn’t want to tell me about,” I revealed. “A wife that he constructed from scratch and just so happened to look just like me.” Petyr began to laugh with his hand over his mouth. “Laugh all you want, but I was _very_ angry with him.”

“I told you he was soft.”

I went up to the platform and leaned forward with flushed cheeks as I stammered out, “He was _not_ soft!”

“Then why didn’t he fuck you?”

“Petyr,” I warned with my hand pointing at his chest. Petyr was quick to grab it and rotate my wrist, so he could kiss the palm of my hand.

“It was just a question, love.” He winked at me again, before he bent down on his knees to kiss me on my crown. “Only fun and games.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just a sensitive subject.”

“It’s okay, sweetling,” he hushed, and rubbed the side of my head gently till I closed my eyes with pleasure. “You’ve been tense this morning, is everything all right?”

“It was that meeting,” I grumbled.

“It was long-”

“- you fell asleep through half of it,” I cut in. “I’m just happy you didn’t snore.”

“I don’t snore.”

“I know.”

Petyr chuckled as he went down on his bottom with his legs harmlessly dangling over the platform’s edge. He spread his legs out, so I could come into his space, and the moment I was close enough he pulled me in for a chaste kiss. _We’re like a young teenage couple,_ I thought, as Petyr grew more aggressive and began to nip at the tip of my ear in a playful manner. “I missed you last night.”

“I know,” I purred into his bare chest, letting my finger tips press hard against his warm skin with desire.

“But you were sleeping.”

“And you didn’t wake me up,” I pointed out. “Thank you for that.”

“You know I never went a night without sleeping with anyone,” he groaned. “For two years solid, and then suddenly I found you asleep in our bed and I just had the most devious thought.”

“Oh no.”

“Of rolling you over,” he stated, and used his hands to rotate my body till I was facing away from him. I had the displeasure of Mariam looking up from the Beeswiz suit to try and figure out what we were doing. Petyr added to my troubles by whispering right into my ear, “And sticking my cock right inside you from behind as a good morning present.”

“I’m happy you didn’t.”

“Oh?”

“Yes,” I giggled, and quickly brushed his arms off me so I could slink away. To my surprise Petyr hopped off the platform and ran after me. “Petyr stop,” I pleaded, but he caught me in no time at all from behind and led me over to a nearby wall. “Petyr,” I giggled, as he held me against the wall and assaulted my neck with kisses. “It tickles,” I lied, and hoped he would stop, but he only zipped down my uniform with his slyful hand to get at more exposed skin near the back of my neck.

“And hear you moan out my name,” he sneered. “Since you haven’t really done that yet.”

“I haven’t?” I nearly giggled, as I tried to get his strong arms off me.

“No, you haven’t,” he groaned in a low voice, which only made me laugh louder.

“Petyr!” Mariam called out, and I felt Petyr freeze with arms around me for a moment. “I’m ready… whenever your ready.” Petyr breathed into the back of my neck, and I felt he was giving himself enough time to slip his mask back on before he turned around to greet Mariam. _I want him to stay,_ I thought, as I felt him release his strong grip from me. “I’m sorry if I-”

“No,” Petyr interjected in his thick Irish brogue. “No, trouble at all _Mar._ ”

_Speak for yourself._

I felt Petyr’s presence leave me, and when I turned around, he was already half way to Mariam with a presumably hard erection. _If only she could leave us for a moment,_ I selfishly thought, before I let out a heated sigh and zipped up my uniform for the rest of the way.

“I widened your suit,” Mariam explained, as she held up the bright yellow suit in front of him. “Its brand new, I couldn’t replicate the other Petyr’s space suit. You know it got crushed when he was exploring Plegethon, right? He was lucky to still have a leg.”

“A slab of metal fell down on his leg,” I added in, since this parallel Pete had a look that clearly showed his ignorance. “From an explosion.”

“Oh,” Petyr quietly said with half puckered lips. “Then the suit is strong.”

“The very best.”

“I feel safer,” he quipped, and shot a dazzling smile to me for the second time today. _He’s in a good mood,_ I reflected, knowing the success of gaining three brown shirts made him feel a lot safer. I knew for certain, Osen was guarding the door outside, just in case Captain Ali got any bright ideas.

“So,” Mariam said in a loud voice. “Want to try it on.”

Petyr nodded his head slightly and lifted the heavy suit in front of him. “It weighs a ton.”

“We don’t have the best materials, not like the ones on Plegethon. I had to improvise.”

“As long as it works,” he grunted, as he forced his first foot inside of the suit. “Sansa, hold onto the back of the suit just in case I fall.” He dragged his other leg inside, and then slowly lifted it up until his body was completely covered in it. “I feel like I gained a hundred pounds,” he moaned, as he gingerly lifted his leg.

“Your going to sweat buckets,” rejoined Mariam.

“I needed this during my boxing days,” he remarked, and then suddenly backed off me to swing his iron fists in the air in front of him. “Knock out with a single hit,” Petyr added, as he crouched down low to swing at an imaginary opponent. Mariam did not look amused however, and quietly stepped backward so she wouldn’t get hit. Petyr stopped suddenly as a thought overtook him. “Hey Mar,” he called out, and swung his heavy arm to his chest so she could come nearer. “You had a chance to look at Marlo’s cage yet?”

“I did,” she stated in a cool, uninterested voice. “I still understand why you want to bring your pet down there?”

“Because he was very expensive,” Petyr answered her with a whimsical smile. “And I’ve grown quite attached to him.”

Mariam was uncertain what to say, so she simply walked away to retrieve something from the back of her lab. Petyr turned around to look at me and wore the biggest grin once he caught my eyes. “How lucky am I to have someone as beautiful as you?”

“Alright, Petyr, what’s the deal?”

“The deal?” he repeated with a quizzical look.

“You’re too happy.”

“Is there such a thing?” he argued back, as he lugged his heavy suit over to me. “Can I not be happy to see you?”

I covered my mouth to cover my smile, knowing he was being to smooth for his own good.

“You agree with me.”

“I think you want sex.”

“Maybe I do.” I rolled my eyes at him, and tried to walk away, but his iron hands were quick to grab a hold of me. “Maybe seeing Mariam,” he whispered. “Has made me realize how lucky I am to have you instead.”

“You really want it, huh.”

“San,” he pleaded, with a raised eyebrow.

“Later,” I consented and patted the side of his cheek in a joking manner till he let me go. “Or not.”

“San,” he cried, but I was quick enough to evade his wandering hand and scampered across the room again with a fit of giggles. Mariam came into view again, her head half shaking knowing we were up to something again.

“How is the suit, Petyr?”

“Perfect.”

“Please say that again but looking at me. I don’t even think you heard what I said,” she complained, noticing Petyr wasn’t even willing to give her the time of day when I was hiding behind a tall cabinet.

“I heard every word you said,” Petyr assured her in a curt tone of voice. “Can I take it off now.”

“You have to wear it for the entire expedition.”

“Great.” Petyr fumbled out of his suit, and just when I saw him almost out of it, did I flee towards the door. “No, you don’t!” he called out, and I heard him running after me with determined steps. I opened the door and bumped into Osen, letting out an alarmed scream that made the brown shirt just as startled. “Got ya!” Petyr yelled out in triumph and dragged me back into the room with laughter that was full of good humour.

Osen followed us into the room, but once he realized the two of us were being plain silly, he went back to his post. I was laughing so hard tears were streaming down my eyes, and Petyr random idea to start to tickle me made it worse. “I can’t breathe,” I laughed, and tried to push him off me the best I could.

“Sansa!” Mariam snapped, which pulled us both out of that moment. “You are supposed to be ready to board the ship at 13:00 hours, and you’re not even close to being ready yet.”

I cleared my throat and pushed Petyr off me to make myself look more presentable. “If you want us to leave, then just say it.”

“Fine! I want you to leave, it is becoming a distraction.”

“It wasn’t that hard,” I quipped, and grabbed a hold of Petyr’s hand to lead him out the door.

“Mar!” Petyr called out in a softer tone of voice. He waited for the small woman to look at him, her fave revealing envy of being an old flame. “It won’t happen again,” he said with some untold understanding, and then let me lead him out of the room.

We were walking down the hall on the second level when he suddenly tugged on my hand and pulled me to his chest. He laughed for a second, and then shook his head with some secret thought racing across his mind. “Are we playing good cop, bad cop?” he snickered, and then kissed me on the brow happily. “You look like you wanted to rip her head off.”

“I did.”

“Oh, San,” he chuckled, and used both of his arms to hold me tight against his frame. “Your going to drive me crazy.”

“Why?”

“Cause I’ll never forget how squirmish you were when I-”

“No,” I shrilled, once I realized what he was about to do. I pushed him in the chest, and quickly sprinted away with him hot on my heels, and Osen tiredly walking just behind us. I was darting through the crowds and down the hallway, when I realized everyone was staring at me with alarm. I stopped and turned around with my hands at the ready to block him. “No tickling,” I begged, and was only met with a series of laughter from him.

“Fine,” he grunted. “But I will use it against you, if I have too.”

“No,” I grumbled, and wanted to push him away when he leaned forward to kiss my cheek.

“We got two hours,” Petyr concluded with his chin resting over the top of my head. “So, we have time to eat and last-minute packing.”

“And make sure Marlo will be alright in that compartment.”

“I use it when traveling, it should be fine.”

“I’m more worried about you lugging it around,” I contemplated aloud. “You said your suit is heavy.”

“Yeah,” he murmured, as he let his chin slip off the top of my head. “I usually wear it as a sort of backpack. I attach straps just around my shoulders and carry him with me.”

“If you want, I can wear it.”

“We’ll take turns,” he decided for us, and then looked over his shoulder to see Osen lazily walking towards us. “Kind of feel bad dragging him around.”

“He’s just thinking of all that cash you are going to give him.”

“I can only hope I can deliver,” Petyr sheepishly replied, and only let me go once the hired Brown Shirt was close enough to us. “Care to join us for lunch?” Petyr joked, and let his smile fade away once Osen gave him a look that clearly told him to shut up. “Okay, we are going to the cafeteria now, but we shouldn’t run into trouble.” He was leading me away with his hand wrapped around my arm as he mumbled, “Geez, would it kill you to smile.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, even when Petyr warned me to stop. If he wanted to be in a good mood then so will I, it was our last few hours on Ares and I wanted to enjoy it.

* * *

It felt like I was back in high school all over again, since everyone was in their own little cliques in the cafeteria room. I glanced over my food to see Oberyn quietly whispering some joke into Petyr’s ear, probably making fun of someone in the cafeteria room. Ross was making small conversations with me, polite but not exactly engaging enough to hold my attention. Osen set at the head of the table, quiet as ever as he bit into his large hamburger that was twice the size of my closed fist.

I was still going over the board room meeting in my head, repeating everything that was said by Richards and Mariam. It wasn’t there well-informed discussions on the planet Dolus that bothered me, it was the fact that Diego Bachalo had successfully landed, tracked and then seemingly gone missing in the early hours of the morning. Doctor Wong had assured us it would be difficult to remove the tracking device she inserted in his wrist, and with him tightly enclosed in a space suit in the middle of a dangerously scientific experimentation lab, it was very unlikely he could remove the incision. _So, something else must have got him…_

“You’re not eating,” Oberyn observed, and pointed at my full plate to show his words were true.

“Sorry, I zoned out for a bit.”

“In la, la land,” he quipped, and turned to Petyr with a lop-sided smile. “Tell your girl to eat.”

“San,” Petyr spoke softly. “Everything all right?”

“What do you think happened to Diego?”

“He died,” he laughed, and then reached for his small red apple at the edge of his plate. “Why are you worrying about him?”

“I’m just wondering, that’s all.”

Petyr shined the apple on his clear white uniform, probably more interested in eating than anything else. “What do you guys think?” he asked his friends across the table.

“He might have lost an arm,” Osen quietly suggested. “Had it broken off… torn.” I was quick to disagree with him, assuring Osen that the suits were nearly indestructible. “Maybe he came out of it?”

“There could be oxygen on the base,” Ross added in. “We don’t know all the data.”

“Its been abandoned for years,” I countered. “The machines would have automatically turned off long ago.”

Petyr raised his apple high enough to get our attention. “Not if someone’s alive,” he quipped, before he took his first bite into his apple.

“Alive!” Ross exclaimed with a worried expression. “After all that time?”

I leaned forward and rejoined, “There would be nothing to eat.” Petyr looked at his apple thoughtfully as he realized I had a point. “No, they would have to be dead.”

“So, you basically sent Diego to his own execution.”

I darted my eyes to the right, ignoring the guilt that I was the one who condemned him to his fate. _But he deserved it._

“Do you think,” Oberyn relayed in a strong Spanish accent. “We could have the same fate?”

“No,” Petyr and I said at the same time, but a part of me felt unconvinced.

“We have strength in numbers,” Oberyn reminded us. “If anything deadly is down there, at least we’re prepared for that.”

“There’s nothing down there,” I exclaimed with heated emotions. “We are going down there in two hours, let’s not get ourselves more nervous than we need too.”

“Sansa is right,” Petyr rejoined. “We know everything we need to know about this planet. We’ll be fine.” He bit into his apple loudly and munched away at it but being the only person directly in front of him I could see the worry hidden behind his eyes.

“There is a way out of this,” I suggested, knowing I would regret saying this aloud. “Mariam told me something about your galaxy and ours…” I relayed the entire information she gave me, even using the bubble bath analogy to make Petyr smile- he didn’t. As a matter of fact, he looked angrier the longer I relayed the information to him and his friends.

“When were you going to tell me this?” he demanded, after he dropped his half eaten apple on the plate. “That there _is_ a way for me to go back home.”

“Soon… I’ve just been putting it off.”

“Until when?”

“The timing was right,” I feebly answered. “When the four of us are all together.”

“Sansa,” he breathed out hotly. “If you were given a chance to go home, wouldn’t you take it?”

_Yes._

“So, we don’t have to go on this expedition after all?” Oberyn laughed happily and leaned against his friend with a cheerful air. “We can go home, Pete.”

Ross reached across the table and placed her hand over Petyr’s. She squeezed it firmly, realizing there was some hope after all to return to her own galaxy. “Let’s do it.”

Petyr raised one of his eyes at me, looking timid and unsure of himself for a moment. His voice was deep as he uttered my name aloud. “Will you come with us?”

“I can’t.”

“You can,” he entreated. “I want you too.”

“Petyr, I have to stay here,” I stressed with a faltering voice. “I made a promise.”

“To a dead man.”

“But it was _you!_ ”

“Why stay behind, when you can come with us?”

_He has a point…_

I opened my mouth to say something.

 _But I will never forgive myself if I ignore Petyr’s last request,_ I fretted, and instantly shut my mouth with tightly pursed lips.

Petyr went out of his seat and came along to my bench to take a seat next to me. He curled his arms around the back of my neck and shoulders, to pull me closer into his body. “Imagine,” he whispered into my ear. “An undiscovered galaxy just waiting for you to see. I know you’re an explorer, always wanting to see the stars. Imagine a place you’ve never gone before, a world just outside your window.” He leaned his head back to catch an expression on my face, and when it didn’t give into his whims he continued: “You’ll be with me, Sansa. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”

I shook my head sadly, knowing it would be next to impossible to part with him. _And I have his child…_

I shifted into his frame more and then lifted his hand closest to me to hold; I entangled our fingers together and closed my eyes as I uttered, “Petyr, I’m pregnant.”

There was a silence, and then a shuddered sigh that shook his entire body. A silence stretched between us, and even the noises from the cafeteria seemed to dimmer as I heard a loud thumping in my ear drums. _Its my heart,_ I realized, and forced myself to let out a long breath to vainly calm my self down.

“Are you sure?” he questioned with hesitation mingled in his voice.

“Positive.”

“Christ,” he cursed, and I felt his grip in my hand tighten. “Your pregnant.”

“I’m keeping it.”

He let out a low sigh that made his body lean into me further. _He isn’t taking this news well,_ I realized, _just as I feared._

“I thought you took the meds.”

“I lied.”

“You do realize I’m not him,” he blurted out. “I’m not the Petyr you lost.”

“I know.”

“I’m not ready to be a father,” he groaned pitifully. I looked up to see Oberyn’s face was filled with sadness, Osen’s burger was long forgotten as he got lost in our conversation and Ross had a look that was filled with bitterness and maybe even a tinge of regret. Petyr forcibly released his grip from mine and plunged his hands into his lap. “You lied to me.”

“I did, and I’m sorry.”

“What else have you lied to me about?”

“Only that,” I swore to him, and reached out to touch his arm when he moved himself away. “Petyr?”

“First you weren’t going to tell me there is a possible way back home, and now your telling me your pregnant!” he exclaimed. “Is this just a way to keep me here?”

“No!”

“Are you lying about being pregnant?”

“No,” I almost wept, and fell into his chest even if he didn’t want me too. “I really am, Petyr, and I’m happy that it is _your_ child.” I rested my hands on either side of his head to force him to look at me. “I will love it, Pete, care for it… even if you’re not here to see it.”

“Oh, San,” he wailed with closed lids. “What are you doing to me?”

Petyr laid his brow over mine, trying to calm down his emotions that were raging inside of his heart and mind. “Just breathe,” I implored, and listened to his erratic breathing that spilled out of his mouth.

“Now, I really have to stay,” he confided with a hint of desperation. “I can’t let anything happen to you.”

“I will be fine.”

“First Diego goes missing and your heading to a planet that isn’t exactly safe.”

“Then come with me,” I entreated, as I smoothed over the wretched lines of worry stitched across his face. “Be by my side.”

“That’s just what you want,” he grumbled.

“I do.”

“I could go home,” Petyr fretted. “I could hold this entire ship hostage and hold a mutiny just like I planned too, but no- _no,_ you had to be pregnant!”

“I will help you find your way back home,” I promised. “Come with me to Dolus and then we can figure it out from there.”

“No, I can’t leave you.” Petyr tilted his head to show he wanted to kiss me. “No, Sansa, you stolen more than just my heart,” he confessed, and then dug deep with a kiss that showed the longing that was stirring in his heart. I kissed him back breathlessly, hoping he would stay with me just like he promised.  

“Stay with me,” I begged, just as I had done to the last Petyr. “Don’t go.”

“I’ll stay,” he hushed against my cheek. “You have my word.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I am not exactly sure if everyone saw the new season 8 teaser with Sansa claiming Winterfell belongs to Dany. Hahaha! As if that would ever really happen :/ I am still holding out for some major plot twist (If I do end up forcing myself to watch season 8), so until that day comes I plan to get back to "The Devil's Treachery." You can expect some frequent updates soon, as I am aiming for an update at least once a week. If anyone hasn't had a chance to read this fic then I highly recommend it (Without sounding boastful or arrogant, mind you). 
> 
> Chapter 22 should see the gang down at Dolus :) I hope you have something to look forward to in the mini break, and don't worry I will get back to it soon enough. Thanks again for taking time out of your busy lives to read this!
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish


	22. Into Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr and Sansa embark on a journey down to the planet Dolus, but it won't go as easy as they had originally planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last I am back to writing this fic. My level of excitement has increased after this chapter, and I am sure yours will too.
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

Petyr and I made a mad dash to the transporter ship, taking in there was a long line up already. “Christ, this is heavy!” Petyr yelled out of Beewiz Spacesuit, already his mask was fogging up from long run we made from the elevators.

“Its alright, we're here.”

“You’re the leader, I don’t see why we need to rush.” He was walking at a slower pace, the heavy metal hands rested over his hips tiredly.

“Because we are supposed to be on it by now.” Marlo was making a fuss in his cage, not liking the bumpy ride he just encountered from Petyr's running. “Just take a breather, we're here.”

Petyr wandered away from me, trying to hide the heavy breathing escaping his space suits speaker. The bright yellow Beeswiz suit was a downgrade for sure, but it was the only thing Mariam could come up with for the time being.

Captain Ali stood in front of the line with a tablet at hand, checking something off with long black stylus as we approached the line. Douglas was at the back, wearing the same clunky spacesuit as Petyr. He turned around once he heard Marlo's loud chirping, and then physically pushed himself between the narrow space between Petyr and I to take a good look. “Is that a monkey?”

“You can call it that.” Douglas stupidly tapped on the clear glass, which made Marlo enraged “I wouldn't do that if I were you.”

“He's a sensitive thing.”

Petyr turned himself around until the two men were completely facing one another. In a low voice he droned, “We both our.”

The transporter ship made a low humming sound as it turned on. The ship's hanger immediately opened, and quickly dropped to the floor for us to go inside. Captain Ali was barking out orders as we fell into a natural line, and I felt like we were almost in the military as we marched up the metal plank. “Petyr and Sansa,” he exclaimed, and moved his arm down like a barricade to stop us. “I hope you won’t forget your mission.”

“As long as you don’t forget yours,” I quipped.

“Find out why the other Petyr was so determined to take Ares down there. Report back to me directly. If there are any issues down below you know who to contact.” He saw me roll my eyes at him and added, “I was only trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need any protection. Don’t think I’ll forget all that you have done.”

“I hope you know it took many hours to pick the locks to those handcuffs of yours,” He wheezed. “You are stepping on more toes than you know.”

“It goes both ways.”

“I had considered removing you from this mission-”

“- and locking me in a cell, no doubt.”

“Sansa,” Captain Ali said with concern. “You are behaving most abnormally.”

“Maybe because you sent two armed guards-”

“- they were only to use force if you resisted,” he bellowed out in a loud voice, that caught the attention of the engineer workers that were examining the ship for one last time. Heavy steps clamoured down the metal plank way, and Richards rested his hands over two little notches over his head as he glared at us.

“You two are so loud we can hear you from inside the ship,” Richards relayed. “How about we agree to disagree and get on with it. Ali, we got to go!”

Osen’s large figure appeared behind Richards, and with crossed arms he stared the Captain down.

Captain Ali opened his mouth, but I shut him down by quipping, “We were just leaving.” Petyr brushed himself between us to act as a human shield until we reached the spot where Richards was standing.

“I want the two of you to behave,” Richards warned with his finger pointing at me in particular. “We're already nervous… we don’t need a fight to make things worse.” Richards turned away to head to the pilot's chair, and the three of us quickly followed. Petyr made sure to block me from Ali's view just in case he tried something clever and made a show when the hanger was closing to stick up his middle finger.

“Dumb fucker,” he grumbled, as we walked down the narrow hallway that would lead to our assigned seats. Everyone was already there, talking away their nerves as we made our way to the front.

“Petyr!” Oberyn yelled out after he stood out of his seat to hug his friend. “Marlo is safe and sound?”

“Sure is.”

“You guys are late, not that I care. It allowed me to be acquainted with a few people.” Through the clear glass of his helmet I could see the wicked grin on Oberyn's face and when I looked over his shoulder, I wasn’t surprised to see Andrews seated next to him.

Petyr nodded his head in understanding, “And how are you, Ross?” he asked, the moment he caught her raising herself from her seat. It was clear there was a special bond between them as she patted his chest in a loving manner, and then reached in to give him a hug. “Thanks for coming.”

“Anything for you, Pete.” She let him go and went over to me with her arms stretched out. “Still can’t believe the news,” she shrilled, before she hugged me tightly. “You're going to be a mother!”

Petyr watched us with a broad smile, probably happy there wasn’t obvious tension between his former lover and new one. “Will talk soon,” he promised Ross, and then walked ahead to take our seats at the very front.

I felt a tap on my shoulder not even a minute after I took my seat and turned around to see Mariam's face in front of mine. “What's this about you being a mother?” I felt somewhat uncomfortable, not ready for the entire world to know yet.

“Doctor Wong believes me to be pregnant.”

“Not by the old one,” she stated with eyebrows lowering over her dark brown eyes.

“No.”

She flickered her gaze in parallel Pete's direction. “That didn’t take long,” she gibed with an awful grin.

Petyr cleared his throat while he stretched out his arm out across the back of my seat. “It was a surprise for both of us,” he remarked with complacent ease. “I only found out this afternoon.”

Mariam's smile broadened. “Sansa! Are you keeping secrets?”

“Leave her alone,” a gruff voice said behind Petyr and I turned my head to see a man I had not seen in a long time. “Theodore by the way,” he piped up, and outstretched his gloved hand for Petyr to awkwardly shake. “My congratulations.”

“Thanks?”

“Mariam and I are hoping to wait until I get back to my home planet.”

Petyr let his hand come back to his side, completely surprised by the mild mannered, sensible looking man Mariam had chosen to marry.

“You have quite a reputation,” Theodore added, as those soft glossy blue looking eyes studied this new Petyr intently.

“Well, what can I say…”

“It doesn’t matter. I judge a person's character for myself.”

Richards suddenly called out from the front to have our belts buckled up tightly and prepare for our departure. Petyr leaned back in his seat, snapping up the necessary straps, and then leaned over to his left to strap Marlo's cage securely beside him. Marlo wasn’t exactly secure, but there was no other way to secure this large rectangular prison that was made of a clear plastic material with an oxygen tank device inputted at the top right corner. The poor creature looked uncomfortable, with his strange looking paws pressing against the clear surface in a silent plea to be let out. “I'm sorry little guy,” Petyr hushed, and laid the palm of his hand over Marlo's to show he understood his pain. “How long is the flight down there, San?”

“At the speed we are expected to go, about twenty minutes. You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

“No. Why?”

“The other Petyr was,” I said in a soft tone of voice. It was just another difference between the two men. A stark contrast that made my belly lurch when he looked into my eyes funnily. He never voiced it aloud, but the idea of me being pregnant with his child gave him a sense of pride. The bond between us was growing stronger and maybe someday it would reach the same level as the other Pete.

There was still some hush gossiping going all around us. Nerves were running high. The running jokes behind my back that we were all going to die confirmed I t. “How are you feeling?” Petyr hushed beside me the moment he laid his hand over my thigh closest to him.

“I'm ready.”

“You’re not afraid?”

“I’m an explorer, Petyr. Its in my blood.” He brushed his hand upward and let the black of his glove rub the front of my chest. It only produced a grating noise that made us both laugh. “You want us out of these suits,” I voiced aloud for him, seeing the similarities between the two men I loved so very much.

“We never did have time to celebrate…”

“Another time,” I said into the deliberate silence. I placed my gloved hand in his, as we felt the wheels of the shuttle rolling forward. Jon steered it towards the entrance while the rest of the engineers were running out of the cargo bay and heading towards safety. Jon gipped the steering wheel tightly with both hands; he looked almost scared to death as we approached the pod bay doors. Richards was pressing a few buttons in front of him, barking out orders to Jon ever now and then as we drew ourselves closer. The passengers in our ship grew silent, realizing we were nearing the end. The doors made a crack sound that could be heard even where I sat, and then it inched upwards to reveal the dark expanse of space.

“Oh! This gonna be fun!” Douglas yelled at the very back of the ship, the only one feeling energized by the sight ahead of us. Our shuttle roared loudly, preparing for take off the second the bay door was completely open. Dolus was ahead of us, that cool blue atmosphere hovering over the dark violet planet. The clouds atmosphere would be the hardest part to navigate and then there was the heavy winds…

Petyr appeared calm when I stared at his profile, but then again, his terror could be felt inwardly. His companion beside him, Marlo chooed loudly, obviously sensing that something was about to happen.

“For what its worth,” I piped up, and patiently waited for him to turn his head in my direction. “I'm happy I found you.”

“So am I, sweetling.” Jon eased the ship forward with a sudden jerk, and we let out a terrified cry as the ship ungracefully tittered on the edge of Ares ship.

“You trying to kill us!” Richards screamed over our horrified yells. “Move!” he smacked my brother on his arm and using his good hand he slammed on a button that sent us shooting in the sky. “We're off course!” he yelled over the sound of the ship’s engines. Richards screamed out a mouthful of coordinates that Jon tried to follow with shaky hands. I thought he said he could handle this. It was clear he was a bundle of nerves, as he swerves the shuttle sharply to the right which only made the passengers scream louder.

“I'm going to be sick,” Mariam wailed behind me. Marlo was jumping up and down in his cage angrily, sliding across the smooth surface every time Jon made an unpredictable turn.

“Sansa,” Peryr wheezed, and turned his head to look at me with worry filled eyes.

“It will be alright” I promised, and squeezed his gloved hand tighter as Jon made the ship lurch downward at an unprecedented angle. “Okay, maybe I take it back.”

“To the right, you idiot,” Richards roared, and shoved my brother in his seat so he could take control of the steering wheel. “Use your left hand,” he bellowed, and together they steered the stirring wheel onto the right course. “If I knew you would have done that, I would have flied the shuttle myself!”

The blue clouds came close into our view, and then all of a sudden, our shuttle was whipping past the dense clouds which created some kind of moisture like rain across the clear screen of our shuttlecraft. “On automatic, sir?” Jon asked, with fear trembling in his voice.

“This isn’t like Vasken, I can’t give the shuttle full control. Just keep your hand steady and follow the coordinates.” Their hands worked the steering wheel and buttons together, as the shuttle whipped across the dense blue clouds violently. I felt sick to my stomach, thinking this must have been the worst flight I have ever taken on a space craft. _And I thought the one to Plegethon was bad._

“I can’t see,” Jon panicked, as the thick water-like substance smeared our vision.

“Its like we need a wind shield wiper,” Petyr joked unexpectedly, finding some amusement in this awful situation.

“This isn’t funny. If we miss the coordinates, we could be stranded on Dolus, and I have no intention to walk to Vasken's base.”

“I thought you had that Welterview car,” he pointed out, knowing what the second level of this shuttlecraft secretly held.

“Not if we crash,” I reminded him, and stared ahead as our shuttle continued to descend to the planet’s atmosphere. Our entire ship grew silent, with all eyes staring ahead of the impenetrable darkness of the planet's surroundings. Our future looked dim as the shuttle creaked and moaned from the heavy blue clouds, we forced ourselves through. Something looked like lightening just behind us, a storm cloud erupting and quivering with violent rage. _Humans are meant to be here,_ I thought, and felt I was about to face my doom.

“Hold on tight!” Richards screamed, the ship lurched downward as a gust of wind throttled us forward. Jon tried to force it back on course, but it was to no avail. “No, don't let this happen,” Richards pleaded, and unbuckled his straps to stand in front of the steering wheel to gain full control.

“Richards sit down!” Theodore yelled, voicing the thoughts of us all. “You're going to get yourself killed.”

“Sir, go back to your seat,” Jon ordered, but he knew Richards wasn’t going to do as he was told.  

“Just one more…” Richards groaned, and immediately the shuttlecraft became leveled again. Lightening flashed just over our ship, making us all cover our eyes from the brightness, the ship rumbled with a troubling sound and then I felt the ship dropping at an alarming rate. “We're going down!” Richards yelled, and pressed every single button on the panel to try and bring back life to the ship. “Something got fried.”

“I still have control of the wheel, sir.”

“We're running on emergency power!” The people in the shuttle grew frantic after that.

Petyr leaned into my side with one hand resting over my stomach in fear. “I lasted one more day than him,” Petyr joked, even when there was sadness in his voice. I shut my eyes at him, continuedly telling myself that we would make it. The grip over my hand grew tighter as we plummeted down to the planet’s surface.

“Warning, warning,” echoed all over the shuttle. Bright red lights scattered all around us, bathing our spacesuits in a sea of red. We were going down faster than I could have ever imagined, even when Richards did his best to make it a soft landing.

“Transferring all our power into our landing,” Richards yelled over the speakers. His fingers flew across the panel, switching buttons that were even beyond his immediate reach. He then ran back into his seat, as if he sensed our intimate landing and slammed his seat buckles down. “Up to you Jon.”

“Uh huh,” my brother murmured. Jon maintained his tight hold on the steering wheel as the wind howled all around our shuttle. _Maybe the landing won’t be so bad after all…_

The lights stopped scattering across our ship and froze to leave a blinding red light just over our heads. I covered my eyes for one minute and then the next I felt the shuttle bounce violently off the planet’s surface as we slammed into the hard ground. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I felt myself jolt out of my seat, but luckily the seat belts kept me from flying out of it. Marlo was shrilling loudly; the lights went from bright red to black as the shuttle skidded across Dolus’ rough surface. A sharp grinding could be heard as the heavy material of our shuttle craft created friction with the black diamonded coloured surface just underneath us.

The shuttle began to slow down, blasting itself through occasional white clouds before we could see the deep violet and black ground reappear in our line of view. “Holy shit we made it,” Jon grumbled, once the shuttle suddenly stopped on an incline; the ground was uneven enough for us to hit something like a small bump or hill.

Richards unbuckled his seat first and slapped his hand against the back of Jon’s head. “You could have killed us,” he fumed. “Next time, I’m piloting the ship. One hand or not.”

“Yes, sir.”

The emergency lights flickered back on, but this time it was a thin mournful looking blue. “I’ll have to give word to Captain Ali we landed.”

There was some coughing behind me, and a painful groan that told me it was coming from Mariam. “You alright?” her husband asked with concern.

“I hit the back of my head hard against the seat when we landed.”

“Do you want Andrews to look at it?”

“I’m fine.”

Petyr drew my attention by slipping his hand out of mine. He bent forward to check on his creature that was uncommonly quiet. I heard a small tap on the glass and looked over to see Marlo huddled in the corner of his cage. “You okay, little guy?” There was no response from his pet monkey, which made Petyr hunch over further. “Marlo?”

“Petyr, will he be alright?” I inquired, after he unbuckled his seat belt to take a better look at his pet.

“I don’t know. It was a rough landing.”

“If you could call it that,” I kidded. I unbuckled the straps over my chest and waist as well, and then staggered out of my seat to join him. Marlo made a sharp cooing when Petyr tapped on the glass for the second time, knowing his little friend wasn’t overly fond of the sound. “Too bad we can’t take him out?”

“Technically we can. There is still air on this ship, but it will be a nightmare putting him back in.” Petyr laid the flat of his gloved hand against the glass with his face nearly pressed to the surface as well. “Come on, Marlo, we’re alright now.”

Soft murmurs were heard across the ship as people began to slip out of their nervous state of shock. Richards was barking out orders through the communicator to Captain Ali, thankful that we had some form of communication with the man still. “No, I don’t see any major damage to the ship. But the computer is down, so this is only guess work. No, I didn’t encourage Jon Stark to fly the ship- you did, sir. I am aware that you are acting in command, but maybe you should have consulted more people than yourself.”

I looked over my shoulder to see Jon unbuckling his seat and looking as terrified as he felt at that moment. I stretched out my legs and joined his side, offering him a hug he clearly needed. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“I should have never agreed to this,” he mumbled low, almost under his breath. “What made me think it was a good idea?”

“We’re short on pilots. Richards is the only one qualified to fly a ship.”

“And I took his spot,” he grunted. “An engineer has no place behind a wheel.”

“You did what you thought was right.”

“It was stupid.”

“San,” called out over my shoulder, and I turned around to see Petyr was calling me.

I laid a hand on my brother’s shoulder to whisper: “I got to go.” With quick steps I made my way over to Petyr, who was currently lifting the glass encasement in the air to take a better look. “He’s coming around.”

“I’m glad.”

“We just got to keep him company,” he explained, as he stared into the glossy screen to take a better look at his friend. “God, that was a bad landing.”

“Worst I’ve ever had.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I took a place by his side and leaned my head forward to give a careful look at Marlo. The small creature had finally turned around to face his owner and was giving him a small squinting of the eyes in distrust. “He’s kind of cute like that.”

“Surprised he didn’t have a heart attack.”

“I mean look at his eyes,” I teased, and turned to Petyr to mimic it.

“Yeah… its kind of _cute._ ”

People were climbing out of there seat now, forming a line in front of the pilot’s chair as they silently awaited orders from Captain Ali. My captain was currently having a row with Richards, and it looked like it wouldn’t end anytime soon.

Ross came to my side to peer at the clear glass, leaning into my frame without knowledge as she came closer to the Marlo’s casement. “He’s a scared little thing,” she purred in a soft voice, and in a gentle voice began to sing _Somewhere over the Rainbow_ to make the furry creature look in her direction. I could tell this was a thing, for Marlo began to unravel himself out of his little ball and shake him self out fully.

 _She really does have a beautiful voice,_ I thought, as she pushed herself into the front of us and laid a hand over the side of the glass. Marlo chipped lightly, rolling his shoulders back as he went on his two feet. Two strange looking paws pressed the front of the glass, and that adorable creature took turns looking at us all. To my surprise Petyr joined as well, his deep tenor contrasting Ross’ high tune as he sang out the final lines. Marlo was ecstatic and hopped on his feet excitedly after the song ended.

“He’ll come around,” Ross cooed, and then walked away from us to join her partner.

“She was…” I stopped myself short, once I caught the look in Petyr’s eyes.

“Quite,” he answered me to fill in the silence. “I fell in love with her voice first,” he admitted, before he set the casing down. Marlo was still in a happy state, bounding himself up and down in a small circle under the pale blue lighting of the shuttle. Petyr wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his frame with happy contentment.

“Yes, of course I will keep you updated,” Richards argued back into the silence of the ship. “Yes, we will continue what was planned and take the car out… that’s if its working.” He looked over his left shoulder to stare at Jon as he repeated, “Yes, yes, yes. Okay, I will send Jon down right away.”

Jon got out of his seat and pushed himself to the back of the ship. I was tempted to follow but knew I would be of little use to him. Richards was still having a private one-sided conversation when he argued back, “Of course Petyr and Sansa are okay.”

Petyr took my arm, and moved to the back of the ship, fearful of the orders Captain Ali was currently giving to my old friend.  “Osen,” he hissed, and kicked at the Asian man’s boots to stir him from his shock. “Wake up, dammit.”

“What?”

“We landed,” I assured him, and took the seat next to him. Petyr went on the other side of him, eyeing the heavy weaponry strapped around Osen’s belt buckle. “Are you alright?”

“I must have slipped out for a moment,” he lied. “So… we landed?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded his head in silence, still visibly shocked by the way we plummeted through the planet’s atmosphere only to have a hard landing on Dolus. Petyr had bent him self low, so you could only see the top of his head as he watched Richards. He was still alarmed by the power Captain Ali had- even when he was leagues away from us. “Where’s Raphael?” he demanded in a wooden voice.

“I don’t know. He was sitting right beside me.”

“The Hound.”

“Where Sansa is seated.”

“Christ, we lost them both.”

“Petyr!” I called out, hoping he wouldn’t get too ahead of himself. “They are probably in that crowd up ahead.” Most of the passengers were surrounding the pilot’s chair, trying to pick up on the conversation Richards was having in the inside of his helmet where only he could hear Ali’s instructions. “Or taking a look at Marlo,” I pointed out, since he was making such a noise at the front of the shuttle.

“Where’s the armoury bay?”

“We don’t need more weapons.”

“Sansa,” he stilted.

“Petyr,” I argued back in a voice similar to his own. “If it comes down to a fight, we’ll win. There are no black shirts here, and Richards wouldn’t be stupid enough to put up a fight.”

Petyr grunted as he rose himself to his feet. “I’m checking on Marlo,” he partially lied to me, and went the opposite end of the row of seats to make his way to the front. Osen was breathing heavily through his speakers, still coming out of his shock.

“It will be alright,” I promised him, with a light touch to his forearm. “We landed. Everything else will be a breeze.”

“I’m stranded on another planet again,” he wheezed, and laid both of his hands over his stomach as though he were sick.

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” he breathed, as he stared over the crowd of people to see the white blueish clouds covering our screen. “We need to get out of this ship.” He stood to his feet suddenly, leaving his hand over his belly in pain as he leaned heavily on the chair in front of him. “Bloody intuition,” he grumbled, and motioned me to lean back on my chair so he could pass me. He was towering over me as I followed his unsteady footsteps and was surprised when he shoved Andrews out of his way so he could make his way to the front.  

“Sansa,” a soft voice called out, and I turned my head to see Mariam calling me over to her seat. “What’s gotten into Petyr, he won’t stop pacing up and down behind Richards?”

“I don’t know,” I lied. The second I uttered it, Osen placed both hands on Richards and spun him around to face him.

“Hang the fuck up,” he bellowed in a voice that could only yield submission.

“Get your hands off me.”

“Hang up, or I’ll crush your helmet with both of my hands.”

 _You can’t, their Ranium suits,_ I thought, and Richards probably considered the same thing for he shoved the large man off him.

There were screams of alarm, scared that a fight would break out, but Petyr sprinted over and placed himself between this. “Osen, calm down!” he yelled, and then shoved Richards further back so he wouldn’t get any bright ideas. For a second, I saw the old Petyr protecting his friend, but I knew this man before my eyes was so different- and so were his alternatives as he spat out: “That’s not the way to get the man’s attention. What do you want?”

“To get off this ship.”

“I agree.” He swiveled on his feet to face the acting pilot. “What are we waiting for?”

“Captain Ali wants to know all the details-”

“- Fuck Ali!” he interrupted. “We get off this ship before its too late. We are running on emergency power, are we not?”

“It can run for a few more hours.”

“So, we’re expected to just sit here while you and the Captain have a nice little chat.”

“We are going over protocols.”

“Fuck protocols! Fuck anything that has to do with that man.” Petyr pointed his left arm towards the glass window where the black rocky ground was glimmering in our view. “All that matters is getting into Vasken’s base. How far is it?”

“According to my records about 900 meters. So, about a five minute drive away.”

“Then let’s go.”

“I’m still talking to-”

“-do we have to use force?” he threatened, and at that exact moment Osen stepped beside Petyr with an armed blue gun locked and loaded.

“I’ll shoot,” Osen warned, and for once Richards took their drift.

Richards slowly lifted his right hand and pressed on the side of his prestigious Ranium suit. “Richards out,” he spoke into his helmet, and a tiny yellow dot in the inside of his helmet flickered off. “You can’t always bully everyone around, you know.”

“Quite the contrary.” Petyr stood on top of the pilot’s chair and waited for everyone to look in his direction. “Alright, gather your belongings! We are heading to the second level.”

Andrews piped up, “If anyone is injured come see me!”

“Richards,” Petyr shot out, and pointed his finger in his direction. “Is Jon ready with the Welterview vehicle?”

Richards went over to the front panel to toggle with some buttons, and immediately we heard Jon’s voice ringing though the air. “It’s ready, sir,” he quickly put in. “You can come down now, if you’d like.”

“We all are,” Richards grunted, and shot a look of venom to Petyr who was still standing on his chair. “We’ll see you in a minute.”

* * *

The vehicle was a glossy black, with three heavily spiked-like wheels on either side. It was created to grip the hard rock surface of the planet, a similar replica to the ones Vasken Corporation used while they were still actively involved with Dolus’ operations. Jon was standing in front with a tablet in hand, his black and grey uniform blending seamlessly into his surroundings. He was just slipping on the last of his space suit when he spotted the crowd of us entering through the doorway. “Gave it one last check up and its fine,” he assured his boss. “I’m not good at flying shuttle crafts, but I know how to manage this bad boy.” He patted the side of the vehicle affectionately, clearly looking at home.

Marlo chirped into the silence, bumbling around his clear cage that was currently tied to Petyr’s back.

“Can we go inside?” Richards asked in an agreeable voice, once he took in the rare smile that traveled across my brother’s face.

“Yeah, but I’d keep on the helmets. Just in case something goes wrong. It’s a short trip to Vasken’s base, but still.”

“Will do,” he assured my brother, and then bellowed out orders for us to hop aboard the vehicle. We formed a straight line, and somehow Petyr and I were stuck at the back. Richards took his place at the very back, and then cleared his voice to get our attention. “I’d like to thank you, Petyr,” he announced to our surprise. “For helping me back there with Osen.”

“Oh,” my partner uttered in bewilderment.

“Although, I don’t _appreciate_ you threatening me with force.”

“So, it wasn’t a thank you after all.”

“It was.”

“Sure, doesn’t sound like it.”

I rolled my eyes as I turned my head away, wondering if these two would ever get along. “Boys,” I moaned, hoping they wouldn’t continue this in the vehicle as well.

“Threaten me with a gun again, and you won’t have a hand to hold the gun you-”

“-yea, yeah, yeah,” Petyr interrupted. “Like you can even touch me.”

“Want to see me do it?”

“Sure do.”

“Richards!” I snapped. “Enough.”

“You see this guy!” he yelled back at me, and his voice was loud enough to gather the brown shirts attention.

Raphael was small but had a rather intimidating presence. He positioned himself between Petyr and Richards and in a sly voice asked: “Giving you a problem, Pete?”

“I don’t know,” Petyr responded. “Are you, Richards?”

“What are you…” Richards looked around to see the four of us encircling him. “You’re trying to intimidate me.”

“Captain Ali is no longer in command,” Petyr shrewdly replied. “I am.”

* * *

Thick blue clouds flapped over the glass surface as the wheels of the vehicle steadily rolled itself across the rocky planet surface. Jon was steering the wheel, looking comfortable in his seat as he engaged in a one-side conversation with Richards. The man had been silent ever since we threatened him, and he made sure to avoid eye contact with Petyr and I. We sat in the front row, Petyr’s arms were crossed as he watched both men attentively. Oberyn was on his left with Ross, and on the either side of me was Osen, Raphael and Douglas. Marlo was placed on the solid floor at Petyr’s feet, presumably taking a nap since the vehicle was so quiet. We could see flashes of light over our heads, reminding me of lightening from old videos that were taped on the planet, Earth. _Its not like I’ve seen it with my own eyes,_ I mused, knowing the destruction of Earth was before my time.

Andrews was happily chattering with Oberyn from the seat behind him, frequently giggling to my own annoyance. The Hound sat directly behind Petyr, an imposing threat just in case Richards got any bright ideas.

Mariam was having a hush conversation just behind me with her husband. His bright South African accent was amusing to hear, especially when it came from a man as dark skinned as him. He was Egyptian, but his parents were accidentally shipped to a South African base after the _Great Migration_ , and it was there that he adopted the accent that did not belong to either of his parents. Theodore was still fluent in Arabic, however, and was now using that language when addressing his wife.

“Odd,” Petyr piped up beside me in a similarly hush voice. “How blue the planet looked from far away, but now that we’re here…”

“I know,” I responded after a while. “Its so dark.”

“Odd, how the ground almost shines as well.”

“Like diamonds,” I added. “Mariam said the ground does contained enormous rocks of diamonds.”

“Too bad I can’t take a small sample.”

“Too bad,” I joked, and then leaned into his frame to encourage Petyr to wrap his arms around me. “I wish were back in our apartments cuddling together.”

“You’d like that,” he whispered, after he leaned his helmet against mine.

“More than anything in the world.”

“So, do I,” he breathed, and clenched his arms around me tighter. We stated in this peaceful state for some minutes, longing more than anything in the world to take off our suits to feel the warmth of each other’s skins. It was perhaps a good thing that we saw a large grey fortress set up a few yards ahead, a sign that we were closer to Vasken’s base than either of us had originally anticipated.

“Theodore!” Richards called out from the front of the ship. “Once we get inside, you will be our guide.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We are in this together. No splitting up,” he announced to the crowd. “Stay on the same communicator and keep your head low.”

“And don’t touch anything,” Mariam entreated. “Especially if you don’t know what its for. The last thing we need is to get ourselves sick or seriously hurt, because you were fiddling with some old science experiment.”

Petyr covered the front of his helmet and wheezed out, “My eyes!” in pure mockery, which made me laugh way too hard for Mariam’s liking.

“No, I got something better,” Douglas yelled out, and then suddenly slid off his chair and plopped to the ground.

“Douglas, what the hell are you doing?” Richards demanded, after he turned in his seat to take a good look at the man. “Get up.”

Douglas laid flat on his back with his eyes shut, and just when I was about to lose interest in him, he began to groan loudly.

“Get up.”

“Run,” he wailed, and then screamed out in pain as he held his hands over his stomach. “Its coming!”

Petyr turned his head to look at me with an expression that said, “What is this idiot doing?”

“It’s coming for us all!” Douglas screamed, and then pretended something was coming out of his stomach by pressing his hands over the front of suit.

“Alien!” I shouted out. “You’re trying to copy the movie Alien?”

Douglas immediately rose his back off the ground and shot me a grin. “You got it.”

“Really?”

“I knew you would get it, Uhara.”

“Sit down, Douglas,” I quickly shot back, before I leaned into Petyr’s chest again.

“You’re something else.”

“Am I really?”

“You sure are,” he mumbled, as he rolled himself across the ground to get on his knees. “But if you see something coming out of my stomach on the hospital bed in there, I know you’ll be the first to run.”

I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed all the way back to his seat.

Jon deep voice drew our attention as he yelled out, “We’re here!”

“Great,” Richards prompted. “I think I have the security codes to get in.” He pulled a tablet out of its holder in the front of the ship and set it on automatically display for everyone to see. “It’s a set of numbers and letters. If the system is still running, they will ask for it. I assume they will, since Diego managed to get in.”

_Oh, I forgot about him._

“Just inch the car a little closer, so it can pick us up with the sensory devices.”

A female voice invaded our intercom, and politely asked for Vasken’s identification code. Richards typed in a pin the old Petyr had managed to dig up, using that amazing memory of his to retain it even after all that time he was marooned on Plegethon. The female’s voice informed us the code was accepted, and then I saw dark grey doors crack open vertically to slowly inch itself apart.

“We’re going in,” I hushed to Petyr, and felt some level of anxiety at that.

“I think your Petyr knew what he was doing,” he answered me back, and laid his large glove over my hand. “Will be fine.”

“What if…”

“Will be fine,” he repeated, and squeezed my hand for extra assurance. Jon inched the vehicle forward, brushing the large black car against the torrential winds as we approached the doorway that was still opening. _Be brave,_ I told myself, and let out a shudder of a sigh as I noticed lights were blinking open inside of the the garage way of Vasken’s base. _We’re going to make it._

More lights flickered on, as Jon inched the car over the threshold. We all anxiously scanned the open area, taking note of the numerous cars still parked in the garage way. To our horror every single space vehicle had its windows shattered, making sure no one had an opportunity to escape. The garage door sealed itself behind us, and as the lights flickered uneasily, I thought I saw something move in the shadows.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> \- Planet Earth has been destroyed long before Sansa's time. I am still trying to calculate the exact time period, so hopefully it will be revealed in coming chapters.  
> \- Petyr pretending his eyes were blinded/ burning was another shout out to the Doctor Who episode "42"  
> \- Yes, I referenced Star Trek and the Alien's movie again. I'm a nerd #dealwithit  
> \- The title was borrowed/ stolen from one of the latest adaption of Star Trek films "Into Darkness." I guess another shout out to the series that inspired me to write the first fic "To the Stars and Back" and also subtle nod to Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan character... I really should write a villain like him one day.  
> \- The whole "You know nothing Jon Snow" is clearly an understatement.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the read, and I will try and update this fic soon.
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish


	23. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are unearthed as Petyr and Sansa discover the horrors faced for the people of Dolus, and the people who are responsible for it all.

“Did you see that?”

Petyr rested his hand over my knee cap as he inched his back forward. “See what?” he exclaimed, as he peered into the darkened garage. “I can’t see anything.”

The lights flickered on again, and then blinked nervously like the bulb was about to blow. “I thought I saw something move in the shadows.”

“Like- like,” he stammered out timidly. “A _person?_ ”

“I don’t know it moved so fast.”

Jon shut the vehicle off and leaned back in his seat gratefully. “We’re here,” he stated the obvious, somehow unfaced by the chaos that surrounded us.

“Landed up in another shit hole,” Richards cursed out for once. “Look at this mess. Windows smashed to bits-”

“- its like they don’t want anyone to leave,” the Hound spoke up for the first time this afternoon. He was the first to unbuckle his seatbelt and let his heavy boots pound against the clear floor. “I’m going to grab more weapons.”

“I’m coming,” Osen shot out, and soon his friend, Raphael, was quick to follow.

Richards stood out of his seat to peer through the glass window, not liking the amount of shadows being cast everywhere. “We may have well found another place to be stranded in,” he groaned. The lights shut off for a few seconds, and I could have sworn I heard everyone hold their breath till it came back on. “Jon, you’re not going to like this…”

“What is it, sir?”

“I think you should go back to our ship and try to repair it best you can.”

“The emergency power will only last for a few hours.”

“Then do the best you can.”

“I can see what I can do,” he reassured his boss. “But I’m coming back.”

“Oh, I should hope so.”

“Whether it works out or not.”

“I just want a Plan B,” Richards explained, before he pushed himself off the back of his chair. “Right, we should get ready.”

Petyr rose himself out of his seat first and grabbed the straps to lift Marlo off the ground. “San, help,” he asked of me, and let me go around him to fix the straps in place. “You have your gun still?”

“Yeah, but I think you should take it,” I replied. “You are more skilled than I am with it.”

Petyr looked over his shoulder to see Richards was having a private conversation with Andrews. “Alright, it will be our little secret.” He watched me undo my belt holster, and gladly let me stand in front of him to buckle it up just over his crotch. “Careful, Sansa,” he moaned, after I stealthily let my hand brush over the intended area.

“I miss it too, you know,” I hushed, and wasn’t surprised that he smacked me in the ass the minute I turned around. _Hornier than ever._

Richards was directing us to the front door, making sure everyone was in attendance before he went over another speech of how important our mission was. I let my eyes glance over to the window instead, focusing on the exact spot next to a car where I could have sworn there was a moving shadow.

“Let’s all say our goodbyes to Jon, since he will not be joining us.” My attention fell back to Richards, and then landed on the brooding expression of Jon. “We hope to see him in a few hours with a full report of the damage done to our shuttle craft.”

“I’ll try to repair it the best I can,” Jon assured us. “And at least this way, there is no chance of our windows being smashed.” The crowd laughed lightly at this joke, and then took their turns wishing their well wishes as they walked down the metal plank. Osen was on my right and Petyr my left, but I walked ahead of them to wish my brother a fond farewell. “You’ll see me soon,” he promised me, after he released me from his great bear hug. “Don’t worry.”

“You’re going out there alone.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“What are Vasken’s protocols? Alone you fall, but in a pair you rise.”

“I thought you didn’t like Vasken?”

“I don’t.” I could feel Petyr’s quiet presence behind me, patiently waiting for me to say my goodbyes. “But they taught us a lot in school, right?”

“Yeah,” he said with a dry mouth, hoping this wasn’t our final goodbye. “And so, did dad.”

“Will see them again,” I reassured him with a heavy pat on the front of his chest. “You’ll see.”

“Sansa, be careful out there,” he warned. His eyes lifted away from me to stare at Petyr. “Especially with him. I know he cares for you, but…”

“Will be fine.”

“Okay,” he weakly replied.

“Have your communicator open, just in case. If you’re in trouble I will try and find a way to get back to the shuttle.”

“You’re going to walk in the middle of a storm?” he laughed. “No, I care for you too much to let that happen. You’ll be alright, San-San.” He hugged me tightly, and then forced himself to go to the front of the vehicle, so he could drive it back to our abandoned shuttle craft.

The ramp shut behind me, and immediately Petyr wrapped his arms around me from behind. He could sense my worry and was quick to comfort me with the soft stroking of his hand. “It’s alright, San,” he whispered into the side of my helmet. “He’ll make it back.”

I let my eyes glance over to that looming shadow for the third time and felt Petyr’s words fall short when I felt a tightness in my stomach. There was nothing there, but I felt like we were being watched.

“Communicators on,” Richards asked. His voice broadcasted into our speakers to show all of our voices were on open channel. There was nothing to hide from each other, all of our thoughts were exposed as we winded our way through the crowded car lot with Theodore as our guide. “Everyone’s got a weapon and flashlights?”

“I don’t,” Douglas rapped out.

“Anyone certified and trained to hold a weapon, have one,” Richard corrected, and heard a few inarticulate grunts from the men as their sole response. Petyr took my hand as we crept in between two cars, seeing there were of the highest order, and yet, the windows were smashed from the outside like some sort of violent attack. The garage was silent, except for the pounding of our space boots as we wandered inside.

“Petyr was mad to take us here,” Mariam complained, unaware her voices carried to every last one of our receiving speakers. Theodore offered his arm for her, and she quietly took it as she walked by his side.

“Once we passed this garage area, we enter into the security quarters,” Theodore explained to us all. “The machines should be shut down, but if not, we must tread lightly. There is no telling what will happen if Vasken finds out we are intruders.”

“I’ve seen Petyr’s weaponry,” I blurted out. “I can imagine.”

“A.I.” Mariam looked over her shoulder to me. “You might be right about that one.”

The Hound walked beside Theodore with his gun at the ready. I felt a little more secure knowing he was on guard and full alert, ready for anything. Petyr behaved in a similar way, releasing his hand from mine to hold onto his gun instead. Marlo was still sound asleep in his cage, unaware of the danger that was throwing it clothed veil over our heads.

“The place appears to be clear,” Raphael pointed out. “And no sign of how Diego managed to come inside.”

“This is the only way,” Theodore reasoned. “He had the pod, maybe it crashed and he had to walk the rest of the way.”

“I still say stranding him here, was totally unjust.”

Petyr was loud when he argued back: “And who asked you?”

“No one.”

“Then keep your mouth shut.”

Raphael stopped on his heels, and turned around to face Petyr. “Who do you think you’re talking too?”

“Shut your mouth and walk. That cunt deserved to die here.”

“He’s right,” Richards bemused aloud. “The amount of stories Captain Ali told me about that man. Its all classified, mind you, so I can’t tell it.” Richards voice dropped an octave as he added: “I hope he had a miserable death.”

I looked around the room in search of the escape pod I had ordered him to take, but it was no where in sight. If he had walked to the garage entrance way, he must have been frozen to the bone. Weak too, I thought, and felt the sight he must have found here added more to his trouble.

“There’s oxygen here,” Mariam noted. “But I wouldn’t take off our helmets until I know the danger is clear.”

“What danger?” her husband asked of her.

“The danger that fell on Diego Bachalo,” she quickly replied, and then took a few steps ahead to be in front of the crowd.

We rounded our way to the opened security sector, and could see the front lobby just beyond it. The scanners were there, managed by some technological devices that made me feel uneasy. Petyr picked up a rock he found on the ground, broken off by a wall nearby and chucked it just over what looked like a side fence with dying plants over top. “We can just hop over the wall. Should be easy.”

“Maybe that’s the point,” Mariam retorted. “I’d rather go through the scanners. Its probably turned off anyways.”

“We don’t know that.”

“You take your way, and I’ll take mine.”

“Fine. On one, two, th-” He paused, and watched Mariam bolt through the large silver security scanners to see her successfully pass through. “Thank you, Mar.”

“You lied to me!”

“No! No, I didn’t,” he rebutted. “I just thought-”

“- you’d see what happen to me first!” she interrupted. “You slimy little snake.”

Her husband was quick to scold her for reprimanding Petyr, and then followed her example by walking through the security scanners as well. “Its dead,” he relayed with shrugged shoulders. “You can come on through.”

All of us did as we instructed, except Petyr who opted to hop onto the wall for his own pleasure. “This place is huge!” he yelled out, from his high vantage point. “I mean, look at the ceiling.”

The ceiling was extremely high, and we could see a domed shaped ceiling in the far-off distance with what looked like stained glass overhead. The dark swirling blue clouds reminded us of our true surroundings, and the danger that lied just outside of these doors.

The lobby was surrounded by plush red couches, all ripped to shreds with what looked like daggers or knives. The feathers spilled out all over the floor, caked in what looked like blood. I felt uneasy by the sight, and nearly jumped off the ground when something bumped into me from behind. “Sorry,” Osen quietly remarked. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Its alright.”

“Gosh, did you see what they did to that painting?” he asked, and pointed to the right to show a large portrait that was nearly stabbed to death. Petyr went over to examine the dagger that remained over the creamy white neck of the man in the portrait. Gunshot blue eyes peered at us from the painting, making me uneasy the longer I looked at him.

“Its really him,” Mariam said aloud, and stepped forward till she was at Petyr’s side. “David.”

Theodore’s light voice rifted in the air: “You said you worked for him once.”

“A very long time ago.” Mariam outstretched her gloved hand to rest on the side of the man’s face in the portrait. “What _happened_ to him?”

There was a noise like a pan dropping in the far-off distance, coming from beyond the front foyer. Everyone froze at that sound, realizing that we were not alone after all.

“Get behind me,” Osen whispered, and pushed me back so the men could create a wall. Petyr was quick to be by my side, holding my hand for a moment before he took his place alongside the men. The sound of guns droning echoed in our foyer, as the men charged them up.

The Hound led the way, steering us to a nearby wall where we could hide for coverage. It was too late, our voices would have carried to that unknown destination long ago.

“I knew we should have sent down drones,” Mariam said with bitterness. “Or that lap dog we kept upstairs.”

“On Ares? The same one it took so long to capture.”

“I could have reprogrammed it, so we could see-”

“- you do realize we are doing all this to stop Vasken, right?”

Another sound shook in a far-off room, and we immediately crouched down on the ground to be hidden as much as possible. Petyr came to my side, offering his hand for me to take for added protection. “You think its Diego?” he questioned rather sharply.

“Maybe.”

“Who else could it be?”

“I really don’t want to know.”

He positioned himself to sit on the ground in front of me, claiming all of my attention by placing both hands on the sides of my arm. “Whoever it is, I will protect you.” He leaned his helmet forward to stare into my eyes. “I promise you that.”

“I know, Pete.” The tiniest of smiles came across his face, eyes shining brightly as he looked at me; there was no lust or darkness there, only pure admiration and maybe even love. “I’ll protect you too.”

“Good girl.” He turned his head away, sensing the people around us moving along the wall. “Let’s go,” he whispered, and helped me crawl along the wall as we made our way in deeper into the front foyer.

The entire area was in disarray, plants crumbling with death from lack of lighting and water. The floor was stained with blood; lights flickering as it ran on emergency power that Diego must have turned on. My Ranium suit showed that there was amble amount of oxygen available, but I wasn’t willing to take that risk; not when the tracking device on Diego had suddenly stopped without a reasonable explanation. There was a few more portraits on the wall, all ripped to shreds by an unknown culprit. The statue of Vasken’s Hawk was kicked over to the floor and looked like someone had attempted to destroy it. What ever happened on this base, it did not end well.

Petyr held me tightly for fear of my safety, looking around anxiously as if we would suddenly be ambushed. “Your Petyr is something really special,” he said with utter sarcasm.

“Let’s just get whatever he needed and leave,” I stated, after I took a step forward to lead our way. We were approaching the dome glass ceiling, an entrance way that would lead to a multitude of areas. The base was designed as a labyrinth, tightly condensed to fit all the scientists needs. I knew for certain we needed to go on the left where all the science laboratories and top-secret office areas were stored, but the sound we heard a few minutes ago came from our right…

“Maybe we should split up?” Theodore suggested, after he deduced where the noises was coming from. “To investigate why someone would be in the lunch room or kitchen area.

“To find a nice, sharp knife,” Richards quipped, which earned him deadly looks from everyone. “We agreed to stay together.”

“But that sound-”

“-could have been anything,” he interjected. “We stay together.”

The crowd of us followed Richards without remonstration, and formed something like a line as we approached the entrance way that would lead to Laboratory #1. The doors were jammed close and there was no way to open it when the sensory detector had been blown to bits.

“You think its closed for a reason?” Theodore asked his wife, and she immediately confirmed that it was.

“Stay back,” gruffed the Hound, and dropped a bag he had been carrying to unearth some weaponry. “I want to blow this door to bits.”

“Considering how high tech this-” _Bang._ “Oh my god,” screamed Mariam, as she ran back to the rest of our crowd to avoid the aftermath of the Hound’s explosion. “He almost killed me.”

“He told you to stay back,” Oberyn quipped with annoyance dripping from his voice. “Did nothing but start a fire.” Water gusted from the ceiling, pouring over our space suits as it tried to dry out the fire. The Hound grunted loudly, as he was forced to zip up his bag and join our line that was a few feet away from the growing fire.

“You might have just cost us our way in,” Theodore observed. “Good thinking.” The Hound turned to him with a look that clearly wanted the man to shut up. “Oh, I forgot. You didn’t!”

“Another word from you and I’ll set you on fire,” the large man warned with his strange looking gun that could apparently shoot out explosions.

I was just wondering where he got such high-tech weapons when the ceiling started to crumble and we were forced to take careful steps back. “This entire place can go into flames,” Mariam warned. “We should leave, and head back to Jon.”

“No, we have to go further,” Richards argued. The two of them began to get in a heated argument. Petyr sensing this was going nowhere took some careful steps back and looked over the corner where we remembered the sound was coming from. _Still no one._

“We can always take the long way around,” he suggested. I knew he studied the base’s map as thoroughly as I, and it was possible to go into the laboratory spaces from behind.

“We would have to travel across the entire base.” It doesn’t help that its shaped like a hexagon, and simply traveling from one room to another would be two times longer.

“Might give us a clue of what really happened here.”

“Or might lead us to the same fate as Diego.”

“Its clear he never managed to get in,” he observed, and pointed at the blown out sensory detectors that was done long ago. “Don’t you want to know what happened to him?”

“No.”

“Not even a little.”

I blinked my eyes at him as I considered the matter, but the Hound had knocked one of the sprinklers nozzles down with a long iron bar and sent the water spraying everywhere. He’s trying to speed up the process I realized, as he walked right under the hose of water to get to the door that was tarnished with a tar black finish. “He’s opening it,” Petyr observed, as the Hound had successfully placed the iron bar through the crack and was currently cracking it open. Osen sped over to assist him, and soon Raphael had found another random bar of iron to increase the gap they had already created.

Mariam had somehow found a way to our side and addressed the both of us. “I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

“Why?” Petyr drawled out slowly.

“The doors are locked for a reason. This whole place is in a disarray for a reason. Something happened here that should never get out!”

“Well, you’re the scientist,” he said from the corner of his mouth. He looked at Theodore who had suddenly taken his place by his wife’s side. “You tell me what they wanted to hide?”

“The experiments… something tragic, very deadly must have gone wrong. I mean, look at all this blood. Its clear they were trying to kill people, contain them.”

“And cracking this door open would mean?”

“We let it loose.”

“Not if their dead.”

It was Theodore’s charming voice that interjected, “Who said their dead?”

The hinges of the door shuddered and immediately it cracked open all the way. Darkness descended in the other room, and not a single light could be seen in that area. “No emergency lights on,” Richards commented, and took a step through the doorway with his flashlight on to the max setting.

Petyr stood at the back of the line, sensing something was wrong. Mariam was standing closer to him than her own husband, her hand over the front of her helmet as if she wanted to blind her eyes. It was Theodore that pulled at her arm to get her to move, but she remained where she stood. “Just wait,” she asked of him, and watched as everyone slowly piled themselves into the unknown room. “Something isn’t right.”

“Your paranoid.”

“No… it was dead locked,” she noted, and pointed out at the shard of metal hanging from the doorway from the inside. “They locked it from the inside as well. The heat from the fire must have done something to the locks-”

“So, you’re saying they locked themselves in…”

“Just as someone locked them in from the outside as well.”

“Containment field,” Theodore spoke with a short nod of his head. “My intelligent wife is right. We should wait.”

I turned my head to Petyr to see what he was thinking, but his gaze was solely focussed on the people ahead of us. “Ross,” he suddenly called out, and took a step forward to see if she could hear him. “Ross!”

“I’m here,” she answered back, after she poked her head into the dim white emergency lights with the sprays of water still trickling in from the ceiling.

“What do you see?”

“A lab,” she said with utter boredom. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“Where is Oberyn?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders and went back into the darkness. The soft cooing from Marlo told us that he was finally awake, probably wondering why there was a steady stream of water pouring over his clear glass.

Petyr cursed under his breath, and then tapped his right foot on the ground irritably. He was always one to go straight into the line of fire, but perhaps his air of caution was due to Mariam’s behaviour. _The woman looked like she is on pins and needles._

“How many labs do we have to cross through again?” I inquired, with my gaze focused on the dark visage of Theodore.

“Two.”

“And then?”

“A library, which extends to the dome we saw earlier with the glass ceiling. In theory we could go through there as well, and then take a right that will take us directly into the top security lab.”

It was Petyr that spoke up: “I’m more interested in the Presidential Office beside it.”

“Yes, you would be,” the man shrewdly commented. “But then again, the other Petyr might have as well. Mariam, do you think he would have access to it?”

“He’s at the top at Vasken,” she reminded him. “I don’t see why not?”

“He left us the codes. Sansa, I believe you have a copy.” He noticed the quickness of my nodded head and let out a large smile. “Things are much easier when you have a parallel Petyr.”

Petyr let out a fake laugh, and then began to pace in front of the open door with a nervous gait to him.

“Maybe we should split,” I suggested, even though that would go against Richards orders. The three of them silently considered the matter, but it was Mariam that eventually flatly denied my request.

“They’ve been quiet enough,” she observed. “Let’s just go in.” She charged into the darkened room, leading the way with her flashlight from the top of her helmet illuminating the way.

Ross was correct in her observation, it was in fact a plain old laboratory space; the only difference was the photographs posted to the wall that revealed the most gruesome autonomy possible. Mariam spent her time pouring over the scientific calculations on a white board that somehow survived the line of fire. Theodore was busy scanning the makings of the room, while Petyr and I hovered over the rest of the crowd that were currently studying the heaps of decomposed bodies all piled up together. _They almost don’t look human,_ I thought, feeling there was something slightly off as I stared at the remnants of human bones all clustered round together. Richards gave the strictest orders not to touch anything, a thing he didn’t have to ask from us twice.

“Let’s try and get the second door open,” Raphael proposed to the rest of the brown shirts. The three men lifted their iron bars and began to jab it through the narrow crack of the second door.

Petyr pointed out a strip of white cloth clinging to a decomposed body. “Looks like they worked here,” he commented, noticing how similar it was to a lab coat. “Maybe no one could escape.”

“Maybe,” I answered him, before I turned my gaze to him. “Petyr, I’m scared.”

“Its alright, sweetling.” He wrapped his arms around me, bringing me closer to his chest as if he could feel my human touch.

“Why would Petyr bring us here?”

“We have to find out,” he whispered. His hand laid over the side of my helmet, stroking it with all the affection in the world. “Come on, it does no good standing here.” He led me forward and positioned us right behind the Hound who was currently stabbing the bar into the center of the door. It was apparent the people before us had tried to escape as well, but as Mariam put it there were intended to be locked here forever- maybe even die here.

Twenty minutes passed by and still there was no way out. Most of us had gathered around in a little circle, sitting on the floor talking among ourselves. Mariam was the only one who kept a careful distance to study everything she could in the laboratory: shuffling through sheets of paper, tampering with the electronic devices to see if it would turn off, looking for any clues that might have told us what happened on that dreadful day. I was currently laying on the front of my stomach with Petyr at my side, the cage of Marlo placed beside his arm so he could give the creature a good look. Marlo had taken to his nap again, sensing there was nothing alarming enough for him to stay awake.

Richards sat a little out of the circle to continue his conversation with Captain Ali, informing him of our present situation. “We’re trying to break in, but it looks like its going nowhere,” he explained into the receiving speakers in the inside of his helmet. “Yes, there is another way around, but we would like to see what happened... I have consulted with Mr. Waters. Theodore see’s nothing wrong with going this direction.”

Petyr let out a tired yawn that caught my attention. “I could go to sleep,” he murmured. He laid the chin of his helmet against the back of his hands and stared off to space dreamily. “Wake me up, will you?”

“We are on a mission.”

Petyr stretched out his toes, and let it glide across the floor behind him. “A mission that is going nowhere.”

“Patience.”

“Anymore patience and I might fall asleep here and now.”

I rolled my eyes at him, and then forced my gaze away. _I can’t blame him,_ I reflected, _I feel bored out of my mind._

The Hound threw down his iron bar on the floor angrily. “I can’t fucking open it!” The two men around him tried to calm him down, but he only flung them off his arms and charged away. “I’m finding another way around,” he yelled out, and then was suddenly gone from our room as he took the same entranceway that he came in from.

“Let’s go follow him,” I suggested to Petyr, and immediately we lifted Marlo’s cage off the floor and sprinted after the Hound. Over my shoulder I saw the rest of the crowd following, deciding we had a better chance with the Hound then on our own. I was helping Petyr adjust the straps around the back of his shoulders when we both bumped into the Hound who had suddenly stopped in his tracks.  

“I thought I heard something,” he voiced with scepticism. The Hound drew out a small handgun from his side holster, and then looked behind us to see the entire crew waiting for his command. “Keep moving,” he ordered, and then briskly walked over the open space with the circular dome window overhead. The entranceways was endless here, as we walked across the middle of the dirty white floor. There were footprints I noticed, and none of them were ours. _We’re not alone._

“Give me your hand,” Petyr hushed, and pulled my body closer to his own as we crept through the open space. All the guns were charged and ready to fire, but there was nothing to come into our view just yet.

Theodore ran towards the front and took an uneasy place by the Hound’s size. _He looks like a dwarf in comparison,_ I noted, as the difference in height was evident. “Its just on our left,” Theodore piped up with an outstretched hand. “There will be no available doorways to the laboratories, but there is an entrance way through Vasken’s Communication Office. From there… it will lead to the Presidential Office and the Top Security Lab.”

“Then we head there,” the Hound answered gruffly. It was just then that we heard another sound in the far distance of the base, like a low thud on a wall. We all froze at the sound, taking in how far it echoed to the highest regions of the ceiling.

“It could be Diego,” Andrews suggested, seemingly the only one brave enough to speak aloud.

“It could be a trap,” Oberyn reasoned with a frigidness to his voice.

Raphael separated himself from the crowd to yell over his shoulder, “I’m going to check it out.” Richards was calling him back, but the man seemed determined to engage on this new course of action.

“Will someone bring that man back,” Richards barked out, but no one was stupid enough to follow him.

“Let him be,” I stated, and then motioned for us to continue our long walk to the far end of the open foyer. There was another golden hawk statue in the center of it, surrounded by a pool of water that looked like a fountain. The water was tainted brown by the time we drew ourselves closer to it, and it clumped together in an unsavory manner. “Its disgusting.”

“No one touch it,” Mariam warned, and then urged us to walk on. I couldn’t help but notice how our feet echoed over the entire base, making sure that anyone who was alive here was aware of our presence.

Raphael continued to pour out information from his end of the speakers, informing us that the the cafeteria was thus far empty but showed similar wreckage we saw in the front foyer. “That’s one of two,” Theodore relayed. “After that you enter the kitchen, where I think the noise came from. I’d be careful if I were you…”

The heavy thud echoed again, carrying over Raphael’s speakers and into our own. We froze in our tracks, turning our heads to the direction we were sure it had come from. “No one move,” Richards warned, and raised his arm up to make sure no one pass him. “Forget we ever heard that.”

“It sounds louder,” Ross observed with terror in her voice.

“Forget it!”

The Hound pounded his foot against the floor and continued his directive to the entranceway we needed to take. The door could be seen in our view now, and we were heading there faster than ever before. Osen was the first to sprint ahead and jabbed his iron bar into the crevice of the doorway with all his strength. He let out a spirited yell as the door creaked and groaned from the pressure. The Hound pierced his bar through the tiny crack and together they lodged the doorway open.

“Its less secure,” Theodore commented into the open speakers. “We have a chance after all.”

With flashlights turned on we stormed into the open doorway and found the room filled with tiny desks placed along the walls. It was clear this area was used frequently, with photographs of family members taped to the walls of each person’s desks. The computers were out cold, even the tablets wouldn’t turn on as Theodore fiddled with the power source at the far end of the room. Petyr took my hand and steered me to the bright golden letters at the front of the room: “Vasken” words nearly glimmered under the strong rays of our flashlights. Underneath it was a long black table with painted red legs that reminded me of the colour of blood. The special design reminded me of a meeting space where the people could converse freely, but the head chair also reminded me that there was someone of important authority there. It was interesting to note that this was the least chaotic room so far, a sign that they did not encounter the same horrors as the rest of the people.

“I’m heading into the kitchen now,” Raphael informed us. “The door is…”

Petyr and I froze, both of our gazes flickered to one another when we heard a heavy breezing that did not belong to Raphael.

“Oh my god!” he screamed into the speaker, and then shots echoed into our speakers that came from Raphael’s gun. “There’s so…”

God awful screeches rang into our speakers over the cross-fire. Raphael let out a frantic yell, and then his heavy breathing rocked into both of my ears as I heard him running away. “Get out!” he warned. “Get the hell out!”

There was a terrible cry, like him being torn apart. It lasted for ages, enough to send Richards and the Hound out the door to save him.

Petyr clung to the side of me, bringing me in closer once he caught how much I trembled over the terrible screams of Raphael. “Help!” he begged at the top of his lungs, with cries to show just how much he was hurting.

“We’re coming!” the strong voice of Richards yelled back into the speakers, reassuring the young man that he would be saved.

Theodore patted me on the shoulder suddenly, and motioned me to switch off the open communication for a second. Petyr replicated my movements, and it wasn’t until we were aware of the silence of our room did Theodore speak, “There is a code to get into the Presidential Office, and I want Petyr to try it.”

“You are really saying this now?” I accused. “After-”

“-we don’t have much time,” he urged, and motioned us to follow him to the security scanners he was speaking about. “Take off your suit, Petyr.”

“I don’t think its safe,” he mused aloud.

“It’s the only way.”

Petyr quietly asked me to remove Marlo from his back, and then dutifully put it over myself till his pet monkey was secure. Standing in only his white scientific suit, he stood in front of the scanners with every belief that it wouldn’t work. He let his hand hover over the scanner, and then pressed it against it with deliberate force. “Welcome Petyr Baelish,” a cracked voice came from the small speakers just above his hand. “Password required.”

“Mockingbird,” he drawled, and immediately the doors opened for him. “Christ!”

The room looked expensively lavished; the finest furniture you could buy was seen inside all untouched and unmutilated by the horrors we had seen. Petyr stepped inside the room like a regal prince, standing taller than ever before as he took in the posh surroundings. He frowned, however, once he saw a replica portrait of Professor David that hovered just over his desk in the front of the room.

Mariam walked past us to investigate his desk, realizing everything was locked and perfectly stored away. “He cleaned everything up,” she said with dismay. “ _Everything._ ”

“Looks like he was the first to go,” Petyr mused aloud. The four of us looked around the room, hoping to find some sort of clue that would give us more information about the man. _Nothing but fine furniture and empty spaces,_ I thought, feeling it had no sense of warmth or personality that could give us a better picture of the man who was currently watching me with those piercing blue eyes. “I think he has a bigger ego than me.”

“David was a genius.” Mariam stood in front of the portrait as if he was standing right here in the flesh. “Absolutely brilliant.”

“A mad man,” I interjected. “To leave this place in such a wreck.”

“No doubt he was the first to escape,” she agreed with me. “But it would have come with a cost.”

Our four other crewmen ran into the room with a look full of terror. “Raphael didn’t make it,” Ross addressed to me, without her open speakers on. “It was horrible.”

“What happened?”

“There’s dozens of them…”

“Dozens of what?”

“People,” she squeaked, and immediately passed me to get a hold of Petyr. She demanded his hug, shivering under his touch from the frightening things she must have heard. “Petyr,” she cried, and I noticed how much she trembled under his arm. Petyr whispered sweet nothings to her, observed with her wholly as she relayed the sorrowful tale. I turned my back to them to turn on the open communication and all I could hear was people breathing.

“Richards?” I yelled into the speakers.

“Sansa, run!” It was the only answer I heard before Richards deliberately turned his speakers off.

“Shit!” I cursed, and forcibly took Petyr by the arm to drag him and Ross to the locked door. “Petyr you have to open it.”

“I’m busy,” he exclaimed, with an even tighter hold on Ross.

“Now!”

He shot me an angry glare but released his hold from Ross reluctantly. “I’ll be right back,” he promised her, and then walked past me to hold his hand over the scanner again. The procedure was followed quickly, and he gained access to the Top Security Lab; the only place that truly mattered in the entire base.

“You forgot your suit,” Douglas said behind us, clearly unfazed by our accomplishment. “Thought it best to put it back on just in case,” he remarked, with the heavy Beeswiz suit tucked under his arm. “Petyr?”

Petyr’s attention was held to the bright lighting of the Top Security Lab, the only place that had reserved power and lighting over the entire base. _Its like this for a reason,_ I realized, _all of this was meant for us to find this place._

“Welcome,” cracked over the overhead speakers, while more lights poured over the top of our helmets. “Lord Petyr Baelish.”

Petyr walked into the center of the room, looking at the circular desk in the center of the room where his name was engraved onto one of the chairs. He rubbed his hand over the golden seal, taking note of the cleanliness of the entire area over his name. He took a seat on the comfy chair and looked around at all the names that were engraved into the chairs similar to his own: David Romaski, Roose Bolton, Tywin Lannister, Ned Stark and Jane Baelish. “Jane,” I mouthed, and went over to the seat next to him with watery eyes. _Her ghost continues to haunt me after all…_

“I see your father’s name as well,” Mariam voiced aloud, and pointed to the chair she was just standing behind. “I forgot how powerful he was.”

“Yes,” I said with a dry mouth, as I clenched my gloved hands over the front seat of Jane’s.

Petyr reached forward and laid a careful hand over mine, realizing the emotions that must have come over me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in barely a breath. He flinched when I smacked my free hand across the front of the chair and shoved it hard against the table as I stormed away. _Fucking Jane!_

Theodore voice was loud as he screamed out, “Guys! I think I found something.” A blue light flickered over our heads and descended to the circular table to reveal it was a hover monitor with a small circular ball in the middle of it that showed it was loading. “I managed to access the last records stored into the data base. I’m good with computers.”

The six of us hovered around the table, all staring at the loading screen. Petyr remained in his rightful seat, while Mariam decided to sit in David’s chair. _Telling,_ I thought, but was too angry with the sight of Jane’s chair to think clearly.

“Sansa!” a voice cracked into the open intercom of all our space suits. “We’re almost at the communication office. Send in anyone that will help us lock back the door.”

“You jammed it open,” I yelled back.

“Sansa,” he screeched, as we heard low growls coming from somewhere behind him.

“Douglas and Oberyn go!” I ordered. “Petyr! Put on back your suit. We need all the protection we can get.” The two men quickly ran out the door, and Petyr ran just behind him only to lock the door behind them. “What are you doing?”

“Buying us time.”

“Our friends are out there!” He ignored me and went over to his crumbled suit to put it back on. “Petyr!”

“Do you want to know what happened to everyone here or not?” he demanded. He shot his first arm through the suit with a look that showed how truly dangerous he was. “Theodore, why is the loading so long?”

“The power is at ten percent.”

“Make it faster!”

“I can’t,” the short man moaned with a disgruntled expression.

“Then show me something useful.” He thrust the helmet over his head, which shut out the last of the coldness of his grey-green eyes. “Mariam! Any ideas?”

She jumped out of the chair and ran towards the long panels along the wall with a variety of switches and buttons to show how technologically advanced this area was. Petyr ignored my quiet fuming and went over to whisper something in Ross’ ear. She smacked him hard at the side of the helmet, and when she went to do it again, he caught her wrist and faced it downwards. “No!” she screamed at the top of her lungs and used her other hand to shove him off. “You’re not leaving him out there.”

He continued to whisper something low into the side of her helmet, but I had enough and quickly ran over to the door to try and open it myself. “Exit denied,” a voice cracked over the speaker. “Please try again.”

_Fuck, only he can open it._

I tore off the front half of my suit and hoped at least some part of my Stark blood would change the computer’s mind. “Exit denied,” the computer repeated. “Please try again.”

There was pounding on the other side of the door now, as the rest of my crewman tried to force themselves through. Muffled cries to open the door could be heard on the other end.

“Exit denied. Please try-”

“- I heard you the first time!” I yelled at the computer and kicked in the door with my heavy boot to show my frustration. “Petyr, open the god damn door!”

“No.”

“Petyr!” I shrilled out, with my hands over my head. At that exact moment I heard two voices coming through my helmet that was currently laying on the floor next to my feet: “Sansa, its me Jon. I’m nearly there. I’m sorry, but there is nothing I could do,” and then Richards voice quickly followed: “Sansa, I don’t know what the hell is going on, but open the door! They are right behind us!”

I charged over to Petyr with a deadly look about me and was just about to strike him when he caught my hand. “Open it!”

“You put everyone’s lives at risk.”

“Open it!”

He grunted loudly and was silently wavering whether he should open the door when we all heard a voice coming through the emergency speakers of our spacesuits: “This is Captain Ali speaking. Vasken found us. I don’t know how, but they did. I’m sorry, but you are now on your own. Captain out.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I left you on a cliff hanger. Please feel free to express your thoughts in the comments below. Who knows, I might be able to give you a hint on what happen's next ;)
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish


	24. Deception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you were offered a means of escape, would you take it? Petyr has every intention too, but it looks like the rest of the Ares crew members have other plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is -15 degrees and I am stuck in a middle of a storm storm. Oh, I love Canada so much right now lol. Anyways, this is the reason you get an update so quickly.

Every eye in the room turned to Petyr, and nothing could hide the pure loathing we held for him. “Open it,” Ross ordered. “Open it, or I’ll swear I’ll kill you.”

“How is this any different from the last time?” he asked through the Beeswiz speakers.

“It was just the three of us last time, but Oberyn is on the other side of that door.” Petyr breathed out deeply through his speakers, it was clear he was losing this battle. “ _Petyr._ ”

He uncorked his helmet, and let his messy brown hair spill out all over his face and brow as he peered at Ross through lowered eyebrows. “This could cost us everything,” he warned, before he made his way to the door. The door opened after a minute or so, and the men bumbled their way through the door with fear striking deep into their center of their eyes.

“Close it,” Osen said in a hoarse voice, since he was the last to enter through the doors. “That was close.”

There was nothing behind them, but that didn’t stop them from running all the way to the far end of the room to distance themselves as much as possible from the door. There was some low mumbling coming from just around the corner of the Communication doorway, Petyr spotted something and shut the door as fast as he could. He bumped his shoulder into Andrews as he walked past him, nearly knocking the quiet man off his feet as Petyr charged his way to Mariam. “Anything?”

“Nothing,” she muttered to herself, more than him. “Everything’s been stripped bare. We only have that message… if only it would load.”

The Hound’s gun hummed loudly as he loaded it up. “What’s on the other side of these doors,” he demanded to anyone that was willing to listen over the deep drones and murmurs coming from the door closest to doorway Petyr had just come from. “Huh?’

Theodore sighed with his back to everyone. “Lab two,” he droned, and then continued to investigate the main computer that held the source to all our problems. “I don’t understand how Vasken could have found us.”

“Maybe when Petyr placed his hand on the security lock,” Mariam proposed.

“Likely, but I don’t think that’s it. Too soon, anyways.”

The two of them continued their silent venture, while the Hound was looking for something to obstruct the doorway where the people of Dolus were currently clawing at the door. “So, you want to tell me what’s going on?” I questioned Richards, who was currently shivering beside me. He had removed his helmet since the visor was completely covered in perspiration from his heavy breathing. _He looked almost scared to death._

Douglas spoke to me from behind: “They must be out of their minds.”

“Who?”

“Those people,” he breathed through his Beeswiz speakers. “Or whatever they are now.”

The hovering screen monitor flashed from blue to white and then we saw a still image of David Romaski. “Got it!” Theodore yelled out in pure happiness. He ran towards the screen and jabbed his finger on the bottom right corner to turn the volume up. “This is it!” he yelled out, before he pressed the arrow to play the video.

“Vasken Corporation” flashed across the blue screen, and then it faded into a large portrait of Professor David sitting in the exact chair that was only a few steps away from me. It felt like he was in the room with us, as he stared into the center of the camera. His blond hair carefully combed back to reveal the paleness of his skin- sharpness of those disquieting blue eyes.

“For those of you who don’t know me, my name is David Romaski. I am the head of Dolus’ Biological and Artificial Intelligence Department or _BAI_ , and one of the six heads of Vasken’s Corporation. I am leaving this video as a message to anyone who has been left behind on this planet, or at least anyone _important._ ” His smile looked frigid, almost stiff-like as he glared into the camera. “It was my life’s work to create Synthware, a masterful technological innovation that would join man with machine to create the ultimate being. Where Lord Baelish’s department is focused on making machine’s more like us, I differ in the endeavour to make us a unique combination- a design that will allow us to outlive our human predecessors. This is the future of Vasken, a future that is still possible…” David paused, as if a sudden thought came over him. “On Dolus, however, we have hit a small bump.” A part of his jaw darted to the right, stretching out his smooth skin to mitigate the look of perfection. “The cause is unknown as of yet, but there is a disease spreading through our colony, which has caused a concern over many of my higher up staff members. We have elected to leave this planet, in the hopes that it will _die_ out.” He paused and moved his finger towards the monitor as if he was pressing something. “What you will now see… may be considered disturbingly graphic, but at least you know the appropriate circumstances.”

“That’s them!” Douglas screamed out, the minute a gruesome image over the entire screen. I moved backwards, falling into Petyr’s open arms as I took in the scene.

“Here is a recording of one of our first subjects,” droned Professor David Romaski. “As you can see, he is mentally disturbed.”

The video showed the man chattering away as he rocked side to side in a tiny ball he formed in the corner of a laboratory room. He was locked away in a glass cage, mumbling to an unknown audience under his breath. His back was raw, stripped away with peels of dry skin hanging from his half naked form. His brown hair looked like it had been pulled out of his roots, but when he rubbed his hand over the back of his head it fell out in clumps beside him.

“They suffer from some sort of skin eating disease,” David explained. “It appears they suffer a physical loss before the mental, but we have no idea how it occurs. The signs are the same: a rash that quickly spreads over the whole of their skin in a matter of days, then the loss of bodily hair, significant weight loss and then there are the eyes…” The camera flickered back to the portrait of David calmly sitting in his chair. He looked grave as ever as he stated, “Pupils almost permanently dilated. It soon turns a sickly shade of yellowish green, unknown origin or reasoning for why this is the case. Our scientist are puzzled by this mystery and have sent most of their documentation to Vasken’s main base.”

The camera zoomed out slowly to show the length of empty chairs on either side of the professor. “I am heading there as well, in the hopes of discovering the truth.  Only a few of my top aids will accompany me. The rest will stay here on this planet to see what will become of them. I have given the orders to lock everyone in the dormitories of their rooms, the lower level is highly contained with no intruders. Every possible means of escape will be fortified. It is our intention to visit this planet after six months, sending droids to simply observe and report.”

“They are basically lab rats!” I yelled out in anger.

“We believe this disease to be contagious. If we can figure out this source, then maybe we could potentially weaponize it as well. I have sent out a detailed report to Roose Bolton, in the hopes he will work alongside our cause.” He swallowed hard, feeling fatigued from after such a long speech. “Not is all lost, however, the success of Synthware is nearly ready to be implemented into every Vasken space ship and human colonies. We will introduce it as an improvement on people’s health, selling it to the highest bidders… only then will people start to _accept_ the idea of man-like-machines.” He smiled, but there was something awful about the way the lines stretched over the smoothness of his face. “Why live to one hundred, when you can live to two?” he questioned to the unknown audience. “Synthware will be a success, I promise you that. I look forward to heading back to the planet, Gema, to be reintroduced to Lord Petyr Baelish and his lovely wife. It is my hope that the brilliance of these two will help me advance this cause. Thank you for listening to this video, it will now fade out to set out the emergency protocol plan for you and your crewmates. All is not lost, my friend.” The screen shut out, and the entire room went black for a few seconds before the screen and the lighting in the room came on again. It appeared to be on purpose, for the floor around the circular desk started to move in slow circles, forcing all us to take careful steps back.

The pounding on the door continued, as the heavily diseased people were determined to come in. I found myself clinging to Petyr, forgetting the anger I harboured against him as I watched the center of the floor move downwards into an unknown cavern. “Should we go on?” I asked, and since no one answered I made the first move to jump on the leveled floor.

“Sansa,” Petyr yelled out, but was quick to follow me, since the floor was already going downwards like an unseen elevator. The rest of my crewmen hopped on, clinging to the back of the chairs as they realized this just might be our only means of escaping.

The computer’s speakers cracked from somewhere underneath the desk as we descended a strange circular tunnel. “Welcome, Lord Baelish. Professor David Romanski welcomes you to Dolus. Given his absence, he has provided you a detailed escape plan protocol, including shuttles for you and any of those who accompanied you. He apologizes it for not being as grand as your own space shuttles however.”

Petyr raised his eyebrow at me, and I knew he was most pleased to hear this news. “You’d think I’m a King,” he joked, before he looked over his head to see how far we had descended. We descended deep into the planet’s crust to find us in a secret garage, a place that stored at least fifteen large space crafts of the finest silver coloured steel I had ever seen. _They look beautiful_ , I thought, _and powerful._

Vasken’s name emblazed on every shuttle craft for all to see, showcasing its immense power as we stared at all them from a distance. The strange elevator-like contraption stopped, shaking violently and it was then that we knew we reached the end of our journey. “A way out of here,” Andrews said with relief.

“What about Jon?” I asked worriedly to Petyr.

“What about him?”

“He’s going to walk straight into that trap.”

“Not necessarily, he might find a way down here.”

“How?”

“Geez, Sansa! I don’t know,” Petyr argued back. “But we have a way out, so let’s take it.”

“When did you get so selfish?” I barked out, and released myself from his arms to follow the crowd of people. They were heading to the first available shuttle craft, the one closets to the hanger door where it gave us an easy escape. _Too easy._

“Looks in working order,” Richards observed, as he let his damaged hand glide over the smooth surface of the ship. “I think we can fly this thing out of here.” He tapped the side of his helmet as he took a step away. “Let me make a quick call to the Captain,” he rapped out, and then walked away from us to keep a good distance.

Osen was the first to inspect the ship, and then moved onto the other ones filled with curiosity. Everyone else stood in front of the first shuttle craft completely dumb-struck by our luck, but also filled with a certain level of scepticism.

“I can’t believe he just left them there to die,” Mariam spoke aloud to no one. “How could he?”

“If we didn’t have parallel Petyr than we would have had the same fate,” Theodore concluded. “Talk about coincidences.”

I peered my eyes into Petyr’s clear visor, wondering if he was thinking the exact same thing. _Is there such things as coincidences,_ I wondered, and then held my hand over my stomach as my thoughts turned a completely different direction.

Richards came back with an unsettling walk about him, clearly overwhelmed by the conversation he had just had with Captain Ali. “This whole time!” he bellowed out. “The whole time we were traced, and it wasn’t until we approached Dolus that they sent their ships after us.”

“How?” I asked, since I was the closest one to him.

“We don’t know, but Gabriella thinks there is a tracking device attached to the outside of the ship. She’s nearly convinced of it.”

“Then there is no point in running,” Mariam piped up, as she still enclosed herself under her husband’s arms. “They will have to land and join us. There is _no_ way they can outrun Vasken’s ships!”

Richards pulled off his helmet and rubbed his hand across his shiny forehead. “I told them the same thing, Mariam. The Captain decided to land next to the base and instructed us to wait for-”

“- for _what?_ ” Petyr demanded with a fury in his tone. “Us to come rescue them? Where were they when we almost had our ass on the line? Why should I stick my neck out for Ali, or anyone else for that matter?”

“Because the other Petyr nearly sacrificed everything to save them.”

“In case you have forgotten,” Petyr drawled out from the corner of his mouth. “I’m _not_ the other Petyr.”

“No,” Richards warned in a calculating voice. “I hadn’t forgotten.”

“Then you won’t mind me leaving you then.”

“Petyr,” Richards yelled out, and withdrew his gun to point it directly at the man. “You know we need your hand print to get back up there.”

“If?” Petyr corrected. “And you’d need my voice too… something I’m not willing to offer up.”

“Do you know how many people are on that ship?”

Petyr took his helmet off and brushed back his hair as if he had all the time in the world. “I lost count.”

“A couple hundred. Four hundred and seventeen-two to be exact.”

“All destined to die, like the rest of the people on this god forsaken planet.” Petyr smoothed out his hair, to get it behind his ears just like the old Pete. “And I don’t care one bit.”

“I’ll shoot.”

“Then you truly are trapped.”

“I’ll…”

Petyr smirked at him, tilting his head to show that he had won. “Now, if you will excuse me,” he jabbed out politely, to pretend he was the other Petyr still. “I have a pocket in deep space to find.”

“What?”

Petyr walked right past him and laid his hand on a security scanner next to the door. There was rumbling inside, and soon the door opened from the top and steadily inclined itself downwards to create a strange sort of ladder for us to climb. “Sansa,” he relayed, with a hand offering out in the air beside him to lead me on the shuttle first.

“I made a promise, Pete,” I reminded him. “I have to keep it.”

“You can escape,” he almost shrilled with a madness to his eyes. “Take it!”

“I’m sorry.”

“San,” he pleaded, and forgot the stairs completely to make his way over to me. “Do you remember what I told you, its everyone versus _us_.”

“But it doesn’t have to be that way-”

“- of course, it has too!”

“Petyr!”

“Sansa,” he quickly argued back. “Don’t make me drag you up there.”

“What is the harm of waiting?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said with pure sarcasm. “Encountering those things to have the same fate as Raphael.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I was given the means of an escape and I intend to take it!” he bellowed out at the top of his lungs. _So, you show your true colours after all._

“This is what everyone warned me about,” I voiced aloud. “You really do deserve to be alone,” I quipped, and then stormed away from him with Petyr hot on my heels.

“You’re not leaving,” he demanded, and quickly turned me around to face him. I tried to wrestle him off me, but he was too strong to hold. “You’re not leaving, San,” he growled out possessively. “Not without me.”

“Get off me!”

His grip only went tighter, and for once in my life I was actually scared of him. A gun shot went off and we both froze to see a hole next to our feet where the bullet nearly missed us. The Hound was holding up the gun with a puff of blue smoke coming out the front. “Take us back upstairs,” he commanded, and leveled the gun to Petyr’s face to show he meant every word he said.

“You really think we can sneak four hundred people down here?” he snarled. “You really think they can make it past those things!”

Mariam took a small step forward and reasoned, “We can try.”

“Try?” Petyr mocked. “You heard it yourself, Vasken is on the way. What will happen to me if Jane gets her hands on me… or _you?”_ He turned his hardened gaze to me as he continued: “Or you, sweetling. Do you really think your precious father can save you?”

A silence descended on us all as we considered what Petyr had to say.

“You know this is madness. Save yourself while you still can.”

“But its not our way,” Mariam chided. “We stick together.”

“Maybe in your universe, but in mine…” Petyr smiled suddenly, an alarming sense of darkness came over the depth of his eyes. “How would you like to return to your own universe, Mariam? I’m sure you would like to see it with your own eyes again.”

Mariam shook her head in disagreement. “No.”

“You can bring Theodore too. If you think this Petyr has immense power here, wait until you see mine.”

“I said no.”

Petyr looked furious, air gusting out of his clenched teeth as he looked at us all. “There is a way out, and _none_ of you want to take it!”

Richards stepped forward with arms crossed firmly over his chest. “Its over, Pete.”

Petyr’s hands clenched tightly, so much I thought his fingers would break. Marlo squeaked quietly behind my back, somehow waking himself up from his deep slumber. A tense silence hung in the air, knowing it was only a matter of time before Petyr did something dangerous. “Alright, I’ll help you,” he lied, after he blinked slowly at Richards. “Come along,” he bellowed, and beckoned the men forward to join him on the circular elevator with the round of six chairs.

“Petyr,” Mariam warned. “Please don’t try anything.”

A mocking smile came over his lips, a cunningness in the depth of his eyes as he gazed at Mariam and Richards. “Why? Whatever could you mean,” he faintly breathed, and then laid his hand on the only scanner he could find on the floor next to David Romaski’s chair. “Going up!” he yelled loudly, and then the elevator creaked and shuddered to lead the entire crewmembers back to the room we had tried so hard to desperately escape.

 


	25. Prove a Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one wants to admit it, but Petyr was right. Their self-righteous errand to save the entire Ares crew is foolish. It will come at a cost, and such a cost will make them rethink everything.

I couldn’t help but be on the tips of my toes the minute the elevator-like platform started to raise from the garage floor. The shadow of the space shuttles I could have been on, left an uncomfortable feeling at the bottom of my stomach. We were heading into war we didn’t need to engage in.

“I hope your happy,” Petyr said through the corner of his mouth once he finally took his place by my side. He then looked over his shoulder to see we were being watched by the Hound and Richards. Any further conversation wasn’t a possibility, so he walked over to his assigned seat and took his rightful place with his feet scraping the top of the nicely shined table. “Fuck it!’

“Fuck what?” Richards asked with a snide look to him.

“You.”

Petyr threw his heavy helmet on the table next to his foot, and then looked over his head to see we were halfway up the tunnel. “What do you intend to do once we get up there?”

“Find a route for our people to come through.”

“Your four hundred or so people,” he scoffed. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

Richards turned his back to Petyr,and leaned against the wall to whisper something softly to the towering man beside him. Petyr narrowed his eyes at them both but decided to say nothing. Uncertain of the situation I took a seat next to Petyr, although I made sure it was nowhere near Jane’s seat. “Who is Roose Bolton?” I tiredly asked Mariam, who was currently leaning over the front of David’s chair.

“From what I know he works in the military department. So, if Petyr designs artificial weaponry it is Roose Bolton who tests and then assigns them to their respective quarters. Vasken Corporation is an agency of peace, but that doesn’t mean we don’t prepare for any real threats.”

“Like humans, for example.” The woman gaped at me, like I had said something absurd. “That’s their goal, isn’t it? Destroy human life in favour of machines, or something akin to that.”

“I was talking of interplanetary wars.”

“We haven’t had that in ages,” I rebutted. “We live in our colonies, stay with people of the same nationality but-”

“-but?” she interjected. “You’re young, Sansa, and you think like a woman your age. There wasn’t always peace, at least not in my lifetime.”

“This is coming from the one who isn’t even from our galaxy.”

Mariam narrowed her eyes at me, and decided it was best to drop the matter entirely. The entire Ares crew was in division by the time we reached the first level of Dolus’ scientific base. _And we still had a long way to go…_

People were dispersing off the leveled plain, but Petyr remained in his seat with his legs lazily resting over the table. He looked like he was in a mood, and it wasn’t necessarily a good one. Petyr stretched out his hand towards me, silently entreating for me to take it. I suppose it was his small way of apology, and I took it uneasily, and in thanks he offered me an affectionate squeeze. “You’re all that matters,” he hushed, for only I to hear. “You must understand that.”

“I do.”

Oberyn pushed Jane’s chair back and promptly took a seat with his entire body directed towards Petyr. “What’s this about locking me in, back there?”

“I’m sorry, Oberyn.”

“Sorry,” he snapped, with his accent coming out in full. He took off his helmet and placed it beside Petyr’s to show that sad expression that displayed how truly unhappy he was.

“Ross told me you wouldn’t even listen to her.”

“I’m sorry to you both,” he quietly apologized, once Ross came into view.

“We’ve been through a lot!” Oberyn exclaimed. “I just can’t believe you would do that to me.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“Only because you need our help,” he hushed under his breath, with the corner of his eye directed to the locked door where Richards and the Hound were stationed. “And your brown shirts turned.”

“Osen is still on our side.”

“Is he?” Oberyn pushed his back onto the seat and demanded, “Then will you tell me where he is?”

“He’s…” Petyr glanced around the room, and realized the brown shirt was missing. “Christ, is he still down there?”

“Hiding… waiting for a chance to escape, just as we would have done if we weren’t your friends.” Oberyn prodded his hand into the side of Petyr’s suit. “But now, I don’t even know if I want to help you.”

Petyr pouted slightly, looking almost like a sad puppy. “If not for me, then at least for yourself,” he reasoned. “You really want to help all those people up there?”

Ross sat down on the table between Oberyn and Petyr, with her legs nearly touching Petyr’s outer thigh. “No,” she cooed, as she brushed her fingers down her thick brown hair that fell over the sides of the space suit. “And you don’t either.”

“I don’t,” Petyr rigidly said, and then turned his head sharply to his right. “Sansa?”

“I have too,” I reminded him. “A promise is a promise.”

“What if I find a way around it?”

“There is no way around it,” I shot back a little too loudly, for half of the room turned their head to see our little circle of conspiracy. Richards placed his hands on his hips and eyed me carefully, making sure I knew the difference between right and wrong. Petyr squeezed his hand over mine possessively, claiming me as his own; with a sharp look in his eyes I knew he wanted me to stay by his side for good. _I don’t even think I could get away from him, even if I tried._ I belonged to Petyr, just as he had told me so many times ago. It was more than just the marks on my skin, the way he penetrated himself deep into me night after night, it was as though the wheels of fate had purposely spun us together and there was no way of tearing us apart.

“Why are you looking at me so hard?” he suddenly asked, after he moved his head backwards for it to only hit the back of his chair.

“I was thinking…” I turned my gaze away and noticed the Hound walking around the room with two iron bars inquiring after Osen.

“He got smart?” Petyr jeered with crossed arms. “Smarter than you lot.”

The Hound looked like he wanted to hit him, but Richards instantly came to our aide and blocked the man’s path. “Calm down, we have to work together.” The Hound had no interest in cooperation, he wanted to pound his fist into something, and it looked like it would be Petyr.

“No, let him get all worked up,” Petyr taunted, like a typical school bully. “Send him outside to our groveling friends and let him have a good time.”

“Petyr,” Mariam scolded, and shook her head at the man that was only creating more division.

 _The master of chaos,_ I thought, as Petyr banged his boots against the table in ill humour. “Mar,” Petyr sweetly replied. “If Vasken is on there way do you think they will give us a nice little present?” He smirked at her, sending long lines across the sides of his cheeks. “I’m sure you are the most acquainted with the A.I. that will be at the doors to greet us.”

“Petyr,” she warned, not liking the tone of his voice.

“What do you think will happen to _our_ galaxy if they take us?”

“Everything isn’t always about you.” Petyr puckered his lips and tilted his head with slight amusement. “Why don’t you put that clever mind to use and find us a way out of here.”

“I only need a hand, Mar,” he teased, and waved his right hand in the air for all to see. She dismissed him with a sigh and strolled over to the locked door where most of the crewmates were trying to figure out how to unlock the door.

The four of us sat perfectly still, watching them from our secluded little circle. It was so easy for Petyr to press his hand against the scanner and send us down to safety. I could have asked him with a single look, but I kept my gaze down to my hands to keep me from running. _I have to keep my promise,_ I reminded myself, but it felt so hard when we kept hearing the clawing at the far end door where the people of Dolus were desperately trying to get inside. _They sound like wild animals._

On that train of thought, Marlo grew restless at my back and started to make noises to attract his owner’s attention. Ross stood to her feet and helped me get the clear plastic cage off my back so we could all have a look at him. The golden coloured monkey cooed and chirped musically, clearly pleased to have the attention of us four. “He will be getting hungry,” Ross acknowledged, and now that I thought of it, I was feeling kind of hungry as well. We had packed some food, but I wasn’t sure if it was wise to have it right now. In theory, we were supposed to be back on the ship to report our findings, but that was completely out of the question.

“Jon,” I piped up, after I pressed the open communication speakers to speak to him. “Where are you?”

“Looks like the front foyer area… kind of messed up,” he quietly answered. “You guys close, I think I hear some sounds.”

“No, it isn’t us,” I said with a half-frightened voice. “You have a gun?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, cause you’ll need it.”

“San?” he asked with a tremor. “Is there something I should know.”

“The people of Dolus survived.” I pressed pause on the button and gave a doubtful look towards Petyr. “Please.”

“You’re not seriously wanting to go out there?” he questioned, with heavily furrowed eyebrows.

“Please,” I whimpered, like a tiny child.

“No… San, please don’t ask me to give up this one opportunity.”

“He’s my brother,” I quickly fought back, before he could even continue. “Our child’s uncle.”

“No!” he bluntly yelled out. “We’re not playing that game.”

 _Why not?_ I turned my head away with annoyance. _He’s not the only one that can manipulate._

“Fine!” I shouted out. “I’m going without you.”

“You’re being a brat, you know that.”

“Maybe.” I shot him a coy grin, and then slid out of the seat with my hand raised in front of him. “Might as well get my gun strap back if you don’t intend to use it.”

“San,” he grumbled. He hated the fact that I smoothed my fingers through his luscious hair at the top of his head, driving my fingers over his temples where his grey hair would have been. “You know this is foolish.”

“I can’t leave my brother to die,” I reasoned, and watched him close his eyes in dismay. He rose from his chair, smacked his hand into my open palm and led me to the crowd of men and women huddled around the locked door.

“Computer open doorway 2,” Petyr ordered, and then we heard a chinking sound coming from the side locks. We all turned his head to him, wondering how he ever realized how to do that. “I merely assumed if I had enough power to come into this room then I would-” He had to stop once I smacked the side of my helmet into his arm. “It won’t work all the time. Ouch! You’re hurting me.”

“You stupid…”

“Go on,” he warned, and then stuck the out the tip of his tongue to taunt me.

“I hate you.”

He dropped his helmet over his head as he added, “We both know that isn’t true.” The helmets were soon securely placed over Petyr’s head and mine, and then it took a few extra seconds to tie Marlo to the back of my shoulders before he opened the doorway for good. I was half expecting those things to be on the other side, but luckily it was completely empty of all living things. The dead had made their stake on it though; each glass case that stretched from floor to ceiling contained a decomposed corpse. Mariam was the first to press on the computer screens to see if she could gather information, but the power was completely dead in this room. The lights were barely on in this room, so we had to turn on our flashlights at the top of our helmets to see more clearly. While everyone was rummaging around the room, it was Petyr that stood by my side as I opened the communication device again. “Jon, where are you now?”

“Looking at this door,” he mused aloud. “You guys had a fire in here.”

“Oh my god! Stay exactly where you are,” I screamed into my helmet. “We’ll come get you.”

“I keep hearing these sounds though.”

“Stay away from the sounds.”

“San, what’s wrong?”

“Just don’t go near the sounds,” I warned. “We are trying to open up one of the doors to get you now.” I tugged on Petyr’s hand and pushed him past the crowd of people to take him to the door to the far end of the room. “Is the burnt down door still open?”

“Yeah, and its dark.”

“Go inside it.”

“You sure?”

“Put on your flashlight, it should be safe.” Petyr shook his head at me in silent disagreement. “Have your gun at the ready just in case.”

Jon’s end went silent, and I could suppose he was moving around the darkened room. Without a second to spare I ordered Petyr to open the door, but his verbal command did nothing. _Its still locked_ , I frantically realized, and then called the Hound over to help us.

I felt the hairs go up at the back of my neck as the Hound jabbed the iron bar into the crack of the doorway once more. Marlo was screeching an awful sound, that grabbed Petyr’s attention. I couldn’t hear anything Jon was saying into the speakers inside my helmet, not with Marlo and the hammering thud of the half-bent iron bar that the Hound was using to crack open the door.

“I need Osen,” the Hound grunted loudly, as he tried to wield the doorway all on his own. Richards took the second bar and attempted to help, but with a damaged hand he was of little use.

 Jon’s voice piped up loud in my headphone speaker’s: “Sansa, what happened here?”

“The dead bodies.”

“Yeah, and the sound is getting louder. I think you’re attracting their attention.”

I ran over to the Hound, pleading for him to hurry; just when Richards was trying to wrestle the iron bar into the crack of the doorway, did Petyr shove him aside gently and used both of his strong hands to wrestle the end of the hardened tip through. “Come on you mother fucker,” he panted, and then a sharp bolt sounded that signaled he managed to uncrack the door. Petyr quickly flickered on the light of his helmet, swerved his gun around his fingers and then fired at the two dark silhouettes that were just creeping their way behind Jon. “Come on!” he screamed at the top of his lungs and fired at the small dark moving shadows again. Jon hurried past him and came crashing into my arms filled with nothing but fear.

“Its like I froze,” he breathed, and then looked down at his hands that were trembling. “Their eyes…” I looked over his shoulder to see the reason of his fear; three sickly looking figures with pale yellow eyes stared at us from gaunt, slender like skulls. _How did they manage to survive all this time,_ I wondered, until they raised their bony hands at us like we were some kind of Chinese buffet.

“Shoot!” Petyr ordered, as he back peddled into the room. Richards took a place by his side, crouching down low to fire a powerful gun that sent one of the creatures back. “Shoot!” Petyr yelled out again, once one of them was coming to close. Richards blew one of them into bits, spreading his body parts all across the doorway to our horror.

“Don’t touch anything,” Mariam warned for the thousands time, and examined the men properly to make sure nothing got on them. “Now, we are trapped on either side.”

Petyr went right in front of her, and leaned his helmet close to hers as he fought back: “And who’s fault is that?”

“There is no way we can get all those people through the doorway,” she fretted. “Not with a lot of casualties on both sides.” The rest of her words were thwarted, for we heard low murmurings of muddled voices coming from the far end doorway where the Hound had scorched it with his fiery explosion earlier. “Let’s get of here.”

We all took up our belongings and ran to the only doorway that would save us from a gruesome death. “Petyr, the scanner,” I entreated, after he was pushed in front of the locked doorway. “Where is it?”

“I can’t find it,” he fretted, as he patted the wall around the doorway using the flashlights we illuminated across the smooth surface.

“I’ll stay on guard,” Richards assured us, and ran across the room to block the open doorway. “Hound!”

“Coming,” he grunted, while his feet pounded against the hardened floor.

Petyr kept patting his hand around the doorway. “It’s not working,” he panicked. “Computer, open the doorway.” There was silence overhead of us, which only made him pound the wall harder. “Computer, this is Lord Petyr Baelish, open the door!”

The door swished open, and we all fell in through the doorway in a mad panic. Andrews climbed on top of the table with Douglas, yelling at everyone to hurry up, since the sounds on either sounds of the doorway were getting louder. “Petyr, come on!” Andrews screamed, waving his hand frantically for the only man who could get us through was having trouble rising to his feet. I stopped in my tracks to help him up, realizing he must have been knocked down by all of us as we forced ourselves through the door. Ross took his other arm, and with her help we dragged him across the room till he could properly use his feet again. Jon helped Petyr into his chair, and then took the gun from Douglas hand to help Richards and the Hound fight off the stream of disease stricken men that were plowing through the doorway of the first laboratory. “Petyr, say it now,” Andrews pleaded. “We don’t have much time.”

“Jon,” Petyr mouthed tiredly, through the small vent of his speakers. “Is he here?”

“No,” I moaned, and with my hands cupping the side of Petyr’s helmet I screamed for Jon to come at the top of my lungs. Richards sent him back, and Jon ran through both doorways and instantly came to my side to see what all of the fuss is about. “Now!”

“What about Richards and the Hound?”

“Now!” I screamed out again, and Petyr raised both of his hands up in open submission.

“Computer,” Petyr said with utter exhaustion. He tore off his helmet and swept his long bangs away from his face. “Enact emergency protocol.”

“Protocol reinstated,” the computer’s voice cracked through the speakers. The lights began to dimmer in the room, and the floor trembled beneath our feet to signal we were about to go down.

“Richards!” Jon screamed at the top of his lungs. It was impossible for them to hear Jon over the gunfire. “Richards!” Jon screamed even louder, only to see them still fixated at the line of enemies coming their way. Jon was about to bolt when I caught him with my hand, he slipped out of my grip and leaped off the table to sprint in their direction, stupidly leaving his gun on the table next to me. I called out his name, but it was too no avail. The room around us darkened further, signaling we were going down the tunnelway for good. I looked up to see the flashing blue lights of the guns, and the low growls from the hungry men that were determined to feast on their flesh.

“Petyr, we have too-”

“I can’t keep saving everyone,” he reasoned. “It was their choice.”

“The only reason we went back up is to save Jon.”

“No, sweetling, it was to prove a point. You’re the only one worse saving now.”

Richards voice was heard overhead the tunnel suddenly, begging us to wait. “Jump!” Petyr commanded, and my old friend wavered for a moment before he leaped off the edge and barrowed down the long tunnel until he crashed landed against the table. The elevator jolted upon impact, making the side of it creak slightly to the side. “Christ, we better not be stuck, or I’ll swear to god I’ll kill you.”

Petyr stood to his feet and stroked his hands through his hair with a high amount of stress. A few more seconds passed before the floor began to level again, but it was two times slower this time and creaked loudly like nails dragging down a chalkboard. I was just covering my ears when I saw Petyr shake his head when looking upwards. “No, don’t do it!” he yelled out, but it was too late Jon had already leaped off the edge and was plummeting down the open tunnelway with his arms flaying over his head like a diving bird. _Bang._ He fell right beside Richards, and with that the elevator jammed, jolted to the other side, and then suddenly we were plummeting down as if the springs had given way to make us find us falling all the way down to the bottom. The entire Ares crew groaned in pain, rubbing our hands over our backs from the nasty fall. Ross was the first to rise out of her seat, appearing the least unharmed. She helped me out of mine, and then payed attention to the low groans from Oberyn who apparently knocked his knees into the side of the table. Marlo growled fiercely behind my back, clearly not enjoying any of the events of the day. Petyr shoved Richards off the front of his chest and coughed loudly with his hand over his chest as he slipped out of the chair and fell to the floor.

“Pete,” I hushed, as I knelt next to him, and tried my best to lift him onto his feet. Osen appeared suddenly, and lifted Petyr off the ground fully. “Thank you, Osen.”

“I didn’t realize you guys had left,” he confided, and then carried Petyr over the open garage space area to lead him to the first shuttle craft. We all took turns helping one another, clearly aware of the yells from the Hound to send the elevator door back up to him. It was quite impossible, we had broken the unseen pully system for good.

“Jump!” Richards screamed out, after he took off his helmet.

“I’m afraid of heights.”

“Jump!” Jon screamed out this time, knowing he wouldn’t even be brave enough to jump that far of a distance. It was now a choice between one death or another, so the Hound leaped off the entrance way and fell all the way down the tunnel way into the arms of the men that were willing to catch him. The Hound slipped right through their fingers because of his immense weight, smacked his head on the table and was knocked out cold.

We all stood there frozen, alarmed at the lifeless body that was sprawled across the table. Richards shook himself out of his daze and dragged the front of the Hound’s shoulders off the table with Jon carrying the heavy man’s feet. Mariam and Theodore joined in this endeavour and lugged the heavy body across the open walkway to our shuttle craft, in the hopes he would receive immediate medical attention.

“Let me have a look at him,” Andrews begged, and laid two fingers on the side of the man’s neck as they continued to carry him. “Wait!” he demanded and used the palms of his hands to stop Richards in his spot. “Let him be, the man is dead.”

“He could be in a coma,” Jon rebutted. “He landed hard on his head.”

“He’s not breathing, Jon.” Andrews motioned everyone to set him down on the floor, and then the self-titled doctor laid a hand on the Hound’s chest and leaned his ear close to the man’s nose and open mouth. He sat there perfectly still for a few more seconds, and then moved his hand forward to open the lids of his patient’s eyes. The blankness to his eyes confirmed it, the Hound was in fact dead.

“We should bring him on the ship,” Richards suggested.

“He could be infected.”

“We all could be,” Richards snapped. “We touched him, dammit.”

“I touched him,” Andrews corrected, and raised up his gloved hands to confirm it. “You simply touched his space suit.” Andrews rubbed his gloved hands together, and then made every effort possible to slip out of his space suit. “Let’s hope I won’t need this later,” he uttered with some regret, before he tossed it alongside the cold dead corpse. “We should get inside. Richards, you’re piloting the ship this time.”

Jon let out a fake laugh to show he was not amused, and one by one they left the corpse to return to the shuttle craft. Jon rested a hand over my shoulder to steer me away, ultimately saving me from my gloomy thoughts that were quickly overtaking me.

Petyr was the first to greet me once I stepped into the fancy looking shuttle, kissing me full on the lips to prove that he was in fact okay. With a tightened hold over my waist he steered me away from the rest our crewmates in search of some privacy.

* * *

“San,” he breathed into my neck, as we wandered down the lonesome hallway that was entirely our own. One hand was gripping the side of my face eagerly, while the other was dragging his strong fingers through the ends of my pony tail. “I’m just so happy we made it.”

“So am I,” I agreed, and found some comfort by his dutiful kisses at the side of my neck. It felt so long since I felt the heat of his flesh, those soft lips penetrating the whole of my skin with an occasional scraping of teeth that sent me on edge. Petyr pushed open an unknown doorway, and to our great fortunate it was a bedroom.

“I think we hit the jackpot, sweetling,” he teased after he suddenly backed away from me. It was a very nice room indeed, plush sangria coloured bedsheets that somehow fit our sexual mood. I smirked at Petyr and turned my back to him to persuade him to take Marlo’s cage off my back. Petyr quietly uncased the furry creature and set him down on a comfy looking couch next to a small desk that was intended for office purposes, and then set the cage underneath the desk for safe storing. All the while I had successfully taken off my space suit and headed over to the bathroom to splash my sweat stained face with water, taking in how pale my face was from the trauma I had experienced today. Petyr eventually made his way to me, standing directly behind me to look over my shoulder to see our reflection. He smiled at the sight of us, but I could tell he was tired by the small lines nestled under his eyes. I turned to him and wrapped my arms around the back of his firm neck, letting our lips barely hover us I stared into his eyes silently.

“You really do worry about me, don’t you?”

“All the time, sweetling,” he affectionately said, with a rising colour to his once pale cheeks. He looked content with me in his arms, wholly pleased that we had made up for the time being. “Does getting your brother back mean you’ll forgive me?”

“Yes,” I said with some reluctance, clearly aware of how he was digging his nails into the sides of my uniforms as if he was dying to feel my skin.

I rubbed my hand across the side of his cheek, realizing he must have shaved at some point for it was incredibly smooth. Petyr’s eyes squinted slightly, while those sparkling moss coloured eyes stared at me intently. “I want to sleep with you, Sansa,” he said into the silence.

“I know.”

“I want to make love to you over and over again,” he breathed, before he pressed his lips into the hollow of my cheek. “I want to feel every inch of you. Grip my hands around your firm ass, and-”

“Petyr,” I chided, which only made him laugh hard enough to make his chest heave with good humour.

“Let me,” he moaned into the side of my face, and waited for me to nod my head slightly before he claimed what was his. Steady hands unzipped the front of my uniform, like he had done so many times before. His lips brushing down the side of my neck, as he laid the flat palm of his hand over the newly revealed patches of skin from the strips of uniform he was currently unfolding. He pressed me against the countertop, with his crotch already ready to invade the intended area.

“Oh, Petyr,” I said with utter exhaustion, knowing whatever he would do to me would send me to sleep for good. Petyr responded by lifting me on top of the countertop, pressing his lips roughly around the edges of mine, drinking me in while his hands unzipped the last of my uniform. I was giving into his desires, and he sensed my sudden change of mood quickly. Without warning he lifted me into the air, arresting my legs around the sides of his hips and carted me out of the bathroom and into the center of my bed. We plopped down softly in the middle of it. Petyr turned me around, till I could lay my face in the soft pillow and watched me curl my arms around the pillow instead of him.

“Sansa,” he scolded, and noticed how keen I was to sleep at this particular moment with some dismay. “Do I have to wake you up?” he teased. There was some sinisterism in his voice as he added, “Cause you know there is a lot of stuff I can do when you’re like this?”

“Like what?” I murmured into the pillow. I felt his presence leave me, and that immediately put me into a state of alarm. “Petyr?”

“Yes, sweetling,” he uttered from the foot of the bed.

“I thought you left me.”

“No, I could never leave you,” he cooed. I turned to see him rolling up his uniform until it almost looked like rope. _I don’t like that look in his eyes._

“Petyr,” I reprimanded, once he sat at the side of the bed to fondle his hand over the front of the head board.

“You had your time to sleep,” he reminded me, and felt it was secure enough to tie one end of his uniform to the narrow grooves of his head board. He tugged on it to get a sense of how much pressure he could take and pouted slightly when he heard some tears in the fabric of his uniform. “Too bad we’re not on Ares.”

“Oh, I forgot about the people on the-”

“No! No more,” he broke in. “I can’t have you worrying about them.”

“But Petyr,” I cried out. “I’ll be breaking my promise.”

“I’m right here, and you’re talking about some promise to a man that is long gone. Sansa, can’t you see what you’re doing to yourself?” he asked in his thick Irish brogue. “I want you to close your eyes and relax.”

“Fucking me won’t make me forget everything.”

The ship began to rumble, showing us both that Richards was nearly ready to be off.

“It will once you realize Captain Ali will see our ship blasting off this platform.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, as I turned to look over the side of my shoulder to see Petyr sitting on the side of his bed with only his boxers on.

“If there is a way out, then there must be a way in.”

“So… you’re saying…”

“He could land Ares on this platform, send all those lovely people of yours onto the assigned Vasken shuttle crafts and if they try hard enough, they might be able to fly out of here. Your job, Sansa Stark, is done.”

“So, that’s the reason Petyr took us to the planet in the first place. He must have known about the secret garage with all those shuttle crafts that can-”

“- take everyone back home to their own planet,” he cut in. “See, I always knew you were a clever girl.”

I smiled up proudly at him, and he seized the moment by bring my wrists together and looping them in a tight knot of his own making. “Now hold still,” he ordered, with a mischievous smirk. “Or you’ll be punished.”

“Because you’d like that,” I noted, after he moved me upwards on the bed and closer to the headboard.

He was just looping the other end of his uniform onto the head board for one final time when he blurted out, “More than anything.” A quick scan of his eyes, and he could tell I was fully secure. With a smirk that could rival the devil himself, Petyr took great pleasure in sitting on the side of my bed and just when I began to turn my head away from him did, he smack me hard on my ass. I yelped out loudly, which earned a low chuckle from him. “I’m almost tempted to not lock the door,” he quipped, and then I felt the bed level out as he left me. It wasn’t until I heard the chink of the door lock behind him that I knew I was his to enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmph. Not sure when I will update this next. My mind is currently turning over to 1920's Birmingham with gangsters, gypys and whole lot of drama... looks like "Champion" will be updated next.
> 
> Feel free to hit the subscribe buttons to get notified for the next update of "To the Moon and Back". 
> 
> Also, thank you for taking the time to read this fic. I hope you are all hyped up for the next smut filled chapter ;)
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish


	26. Naughty Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr is determined to make Sansa into a girl she hardly recognizes, but will Sansa warm up to the idea?

There is a difference between lust and love.

I wasn’t entirely sure if Petyr knew the difference. Perhaps for him, they were one in the same.

For one thing the lights were immediately shut off, sending the room into a deathly darkness. 

And for another, I could hear his feet prowling across the bedroom floor like a wolf creeping its way to its prey.

The end of the bed dipped, sending a soft creaking noise behind me that sent me on edge. I could almost hear him swallow hard; his hands stroking down the hard bones of my ankles till he slipped to the very edges of the back of my toes. A sharp movement and my legs were spread apart, and then his hands slide upwards ever so slowly up my smooth calves. He was carving his hands over me, memorizing every curve of my lower legs till he got to the back of my knees. Petyr was silent, as he roughly bent my knees together until my ass was swinging high in the air. “You say nothing,” he hushed softly, while a single finger dragged up the back of my thigh. “Nothing at all?”

“What do you want me to say?” I muttered into the pillow.

“What I want,” he said in a higher tone of voice. “Oh, you will know _exactly_ what I want soon enough.” His finger finally finished its venture and stopped over the right side of my cheek. Petyr unexpectedly smacked it, making me squeal into my pillow. My cheeks flushed a bright pink, unsure if I liked this feeling- the pure torture Petyr wanted to put me through. He smacked again simply to hear my reaction, and then rounded the balls of his thumb and fingertips into my cheek to smooth the sharp sensation away. “I want to break you down, Sansa,” he said in a low tenor. “I want to make you into something you never imagined you’d _become._ ”

I bit down on my pillow as I felt the palm of his hands flatten over both sides of my but cheeks. He increased the pressure as he continued: “I want to see the good, innocent girl crumble to dust. I want to see that dark goddess emerge, that towering beauty of strength.” He removed his hands only to smack me hard on the ass, making me growl into the pillow from the hard forcefulness of his strength. This wasn’t a game anymore.

“I want you to be my prisoner,” he mused aloud. “My torment, my love, my single _desire._ ” He pressed his lips onto my ass while his hands glided along my hips and swooped upwards to the sides of my waist. “I want to see you in chains,” he uttered, as he moved himself forward to rest his hands over mine, ensuring they were tightly strapped in the clothed loop for good. “Dancing up my cock,” he muttered, as he pressed his manhood right up against my anus. “I want so many things, Sansa.”

The only thing I could do was groan, heavily aroused by the litany of things that was dripping from his mouth. _I wasn’t supposed to like those things. Good girls aren’t supposed to like these things, but what if I’m not like that anymore?_ My answer was a deep, raspy moan when he jutted his cock inside me from behind. I clawed at the white fabric of his uniform, keenly aware of how hard his hands arrested me to keep me in place.

“Please, please,” escaped my lips, even though I didn’t clearly understand it. He was nothing but sin, but I wanted it.

“Please?” Petyr had heard my muffled cries in the pillows. “Did you just _beg_ for it, Sansa?”

I only made an inarticulate wail, surrounded by a pulsing feeling down below as he pushed himself inside me at regular intervals. Oh, I couldn’t stand it. “Pete,” I groaned at the top of my lungs.

“Yes, sweetling,” he taunted darkly, while his hands were snaking around my form leaving a trail mark from the nails that were digging in my skin. “You want me to stretch you out more.”

_Oh god._

He thrusted himself inside me, rocking my body forward till my face was nearly engulfed by the pillow. The head board rocked forward, finding the pressure we were putting on it was nearly exhausting it to death. “You’re not sleeping tonight,” he warned in a grizzly voice. “You won’t have a wink of sleep until I’m…” he paused, as he thrust upwards into me more. “… done,” he exclaimed, over my roaring cries of pure orgasm. The cruel devil added to my troubles by settling his filthy fingers over my…

“No,” I wailed, but it was too late. “Petyr,” I whimpered, knowing full well he had total control as he fondled my clit, rubbing it harshly between the ball of his thumb and the side of his finger. “Shhhiiiittt!”

“That’s right, sweetling.”

I kept moaning, not all of it was from pain. No, it was the fact that he was giving me pure pleasure and that sick part of me was enjoying it.

Petyr enjoyed the high-pitch screams I made after every fierce thrust, liking the way my body rocked and trembled after each forceful impact. There was knocking on the outside door and Petyr not so kindly told them to fuck off. The unwanted attention we were receiving made him more aggressive, forcing his cock wholly inside me from my ass up. “You hear that, sweetling,” he taunted, after I bit the bottom of my lip and swore it was bleeding. “They’re worried about you.” He laughed with pure mockery out loud. “If only they knew.”

He held his animalistic position over me, knowing he was far deep inside of me and let his blessed seed swim into me. He grunted irritably, as he slowly slid himself out, adding an occasional thrust or two to keep me in suspense. “I’ll let you rest,” he spat out, and I heard him slinking off the bed to move about the room.

I was breathing so heavily I thought my heart would burst out of my chest, and when I was certain he was gone I let my knees slide downwards ever so carefully until I plummeted across the bed. _I can’t_ _move._ My entire body was throbbing, an elated halo-like feeling also came over me knowing he put me on such a high orgasm I could barely think straight. I was trying to rub my hands down my thighs, but the man-made rope wouldn’t even let my hands come close.

A pouring of water down the drain could be heard, and the splashing of hands flicking water around the small bathroom sink. “You tired me out, Sansa,” Petyr called out from the bathroom. I heard the bathroom light flick off and I attempted to turn my head to the moving shadow slowly come over to the bed. “But not enough.”

“Petyr,” I pleaded, unsure if I wanted more or for him to stop right away. My body wanted something, but my mind wanted something else. _I’m torn._

“You’re not completely broken yet,” he observed, as he rubbed his cold, damp hand over the heated temperatures of my back. “What do I have to do to make you a naughty girl, huh?” Petyr pressed his lips on the upper crevice of my back, stroking my long hair softly as he looked at my side profile. “What do I have to do?”

I grunted some inarticulate sound into my pillow, still trying to make sense of the elated feeling that was still hovering over my body, particularly the precious space between my thighs.

“No answer,” Petyr observed. Strong, rough hands rolled me over to face him. Without warning he crawled his way into the bed, stretching himself over me with one hand gripping the end of the rope where my hands were, and the other teasing the side of my rib case where he could feel the bones pulsing out. His mouth was engaged with sucking my breast, teeth nipping down hard on the peak with hunger as he growled over me. I curled my legs around him unconsciously, attempting to straddle him, so I could feel that growing hardness I knew all to well. “There’s an answer,” he observed into the plumpness of my breast. “There she is.”

I made a small mew, finding the desires were too hard to hold back. He wanted to break me, then let it be. “Kiss me Petyr,” I demanded, and licked my lips at him as he peered at the shadows of my eyes. “Let me taste you.”

“Gladly.”

Our lips cemented to each other, his hands rubbing the curves of my hips to join our two sexes together. Petyr grinded himself against me, hearing the roars of groans escaping me as he teased me with the tip of his cock just touching my opening. A soft piercing into me, and then he was out again for his own enjoyment. “That’s it, sweetling,” he encouraged, as I opened my mouth wide for him. He plummeted his tongue deep inside of my mouth, thrusting it deeper till I thought I would choke. Domination was his game, it was clear when one hand went upwards to snake over my elbow and upper arm.

“Its secure,” I reassured him.

He prodded his tongue into the corner of my outside mouth. “Good, cause I won’t let you out of my sight,” he warned, and then crushed his lips hard against mine again, forming itself against me as we battled for affection.

Petyr thrust himself inside of me reluctantly, wanting to hear me purr out: “Yes, Petyr,” into the center of his mouth while his lips were still on mine. “I want to feel you.”

“You’ll feel it.”

“Oh, Pete,” I murmured without realizing, aroused by the way he lifted my legs to curl it around his strongly built body. I kissed the side of his cheek as he plowed himself into me, the mattress dipping down into its frame before it rose up again. “Yes, give it to me,” I mewed like a cat, with nails digging into the cloth to make it shake violently from the tight suspension. “Give it!”

“I’m giving it to you, sweetling,” he said in a deep, husky voice. His hands arrested the curves of my ass, pulling the lower half of his body into me as he dug in deep. Oh, but I didn’t want him to stop- not now. “I’m going to fuck you hard, sweetling.”

“Yes,” I screamed as I felt him ramming the whole of his member inside of me. I drenched the side of his faces with kisses, but that wasn’t enough. I bit into the side of his face, which made him yelp and then laugh with excitement.

“There she is!” he exclaimed heartedly, and then suddenly spun me around until I was on top of him. Petyr clapped my ass with both of his hands, and then slid his legs down to the bed. I looked down at him, trying to see his face in the heavy darkness. Petyr swooped his hands upward, purely fixated on my drooping breasts that spilled across his chest. His thumbs fondled it, fingers stretching and massaging the ample breasts with a certain fondness. “You can continue, you know,” he piped up, and lifted his ass off the bed slightly to show I could be in control. “Dance on it all night long if you’d like.”

“Untie my straps.”

“No, sweetling.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” He laid his hand down on the bed and rested it behind his head. Petyr tilted his head upwards as he continued, “I don’t feel like it.”

“Oh, so it goes according to your feelings.”

“It goes according to experience,” he relayed in a pleasant voice. “And I just want to see you work yourself against me.”

I grumbled something under my breath and noticed how still he was as he waited for me. “Considering I can’t use my hands I might need some help.”

“I’m already so deep inside of you, there is nothing left to do.” He slipped his hands away from the back of his head and rested them on the sides of my hips. “Come on, San,” he taunted. He rocked me back and forth against him, setting out a rhythm for me to simply follow. He let his hands go once he realized I was doing it on my own, and then arrested those hands against my breasts again to squeeze it at his own leisure. “Little faster, sweetling.”

I kissed his lips in reply, feeling nasty and sweaty by the sheer idea of what we were doing. Petyr smacked my ass suddenly with the strictest order to go harder. He was teasing me, of course, pretending he was this dominant man in control when he really wanted to me carry the reins and be onto of him. “Sansa,” he called out in the darkness. “You’re so beautiful like this.” Our bodies shudder simultaneously when he arrested his hands over my ass to drive me into him harder, both making elated moans of pleasure as Petyr tried his best to thrust himself into me upwards. “That’s it, beautiful,” he urged, as we both were sent to new heights. “Keep it coming.” Nails dug hard into my backside, clawing his way into me as he let out breathless grunts. His knee cocked up to stroke against my thigh, while he uttered out some sinful sayings that were intended to make me blush- it did the opposite.

“Oh, I’ll give you a taste,” I assured him, and stuck my tongue against the top set of his teeth before I drove it in. Petyr lost control suddenly, pulling on the fabric of his uniform as if he wanted to set me free; the head board only groaned from the pressure, which rocked the entire bedframe violently. As if we weren’t making enough noise already.

Petyr curled both of his legs upwards and curled them around me. “Rock me hard,” he ordered, when his hands were firmly tugging itself into my hair. My hair spilled all over his face and neck, but he simply pushed it back to kiss the whole of my face. The insides of me were screaming, throbbing from the pressure he continued to push me through with an occasional thrust to spice things up. “You did well, sweetling,” he commented, after he loosened the first half of the loop around my wrist. “Here is your reward.”

“Thank you, Petyr.”

“Anything for you, sweetling.”

“Should I ride you some more,” I found myself saying.

“Oh, I thought it was my turn,” he answered me in a suave, sexy-like voice. Petyr steadily turned me over, and somehow maneuvered himself so that my legs were up in the air, pressing against his chest and stomach while he was thrusting himself into me. Petyr used his hands to support my lower back, obviously knowing what he was doing. I couldn’t help but giggle at this awkward position, and Petyr eventually joined in. “That was fun,” he joked, as he removed one leg off his chest and set it back down on the bed. “But fun is over,” he added, as he propped my left leg on the bed as well, so he could lie himself on top of me. It wasn’t until one of his hands rested over the side of my cheek did he utter, “I’m crazy about you, Sansa.” I almost wish I could see his eyes in the darkness of the night. His fingers curled over the side of my cheek and slid downwards till it rest over my temple. “Just crazy.”

“I know,” I whispered, finding the weight over me gave me a strange sense of security. I lifted my head up to kiss him, making it slow and leisurely in a vain effort to cool off our emotions. It was no use, we were on fire, tossing and turning in the blankets with every effort to never separate ourselves from one another. I took a hold of his firm ass, squeezing it tightly to show him what it felt like. He grunted into my shoulder blade, fingers piercing into my skin like the wild animal he was. I delighted in his body, as much as he delighted in mine. Petyr shoved me into the headboard, his knees pressed against the bed as he angled my hips in such a way to remain inside of me. He grabbed a hold of the head board’s narrow railing, imprisoning me with his body and his ultimately love as he steadily thrust himself in and out of me to hear a series of cries escaping my lips. He wouldn’t stop, and I found my hands clasping around his throat like I could choke him to death.

“You’re a vampire, Sansa,” he teased in a dark voice, noticing how fixated my hands were with his broad throat.

I answered him by barrowing my teeth into his skin, marking it deep to the fervent groans escaping his lips. He thrust hard into me at that moment, pushing my backside into the farthest corner of the bed. The head board quaked onto the wall, a shudder that must have made an overhears think we were doing the unthinkable. “I have half a mind to let you do it to me again.”

“Oh honey, I was planning on it.”

I bit into his neck harder, glad to see him quiver from my fierce some touch. “Fuck me hard, Pete,” I exclaimed in a sultry voice, before I wrapped my arms around the back of my neck. Petyr did as he was told, rocking himself against my open legs with all the friction in the world as my back banged into the back of the head board. Innocence lost I grabbed a hold of his head and whispered into his ears, “I want your cock, Petyr.”

“Your getting it.”

“Fuck yeah.” Petyr laughed at this unexpected response, and then smothered my lips with his kisses.

“You crazy, beautiful girl,” he muttered in between a kiss. “My beautifully dark creature.”

“My sex god,” I rebutted, and shoved him hard backwards until we both fell onto the bed. Petyr had no time to respond when I dug my teeth into his chest, nails barred against his shoulder blade where his tattoo was. I was completely intoxicated by him now, having no trouble wanting him to fuck me hard once he rolled me over to lay flat on the bed. His hair was sticky with sweat as I stroked my fingers upwards. “Oh god,” I murmured into the side of his face. “I don’t even think he could save me from you.” Petyr chuckled low, and then thrust into me one final time before he collapsed his entire weight on top of me.

“I’m exhausted, San.”

I dragged my fingers through his thick brown hair sweetly, flicking the tips of his bangs upwards till it looked like he had spiked hair. “I love what you can do to my body,” I told him in truth. Petyr made a grumbling sound, probably too tired to utter something sensible at the moment. “One day I’ll be good as you.” I rolled Petyr over till he was flat on his back, and even in the darkness I could tell he was worried of what I would do next. It didn’t take a genius to realize the pillow was right behind me. I made sure to smack him over the chest before I gently laid it behind his head.

“San, I’m deep as humanly possible,” he explained.

“I can feel it,” I uttered in a sensual tenor, and gently rocked myself against him to hear a tiny squeak come from his mouth. “But that doesn’t mean we’re done.”

“No,” he bellowed, and gripped the side of my hips to steady me. “We’re not.”

One hand wrapped around the whole of my back and the other was placed over my backside as he stabilized my body weight so I could rock forward against him. His hard erection worked in our favour, allowing me to slide up and down to the tiniest degree for our own carnal pleasure. “This can last the whole night,” Petyr observed after a heavy breath. “If we wanted too.”

“I want too,” I promised him, and lifted his hand to rest over my backside. “Smack me hard Petyr.”

“You like that.”

“I like when my man is behaving most inappropriately,” I quipped, and slammed my lips right against his own to show I meant it. “So, show me what you got, Pete.”

Petyr kissed my lips quickly, shifting his hips upwards to let me slide down his cock as his hand drove me down further. “I’m going to fuck you pretty pussy till you can’t take anymore more,” he promised me, and bit down on my bottom lip to show me how truly determined he was to finish our night off on a high.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think its safe to say I am no longer "vanilla"


	27. A Small Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa wakes up in the middle of the night to find herself safely craddled away in Petyr's arms. The very image helps her to come to terms with their relationship, and how much he means to her.

I blinked open my eyes to see my face pressed against the center of Petyr’s chest. I was cocooned in his arms, safe in the fervent warmth of his skin. I sniffled slightly as I inched my face backwards, taking in the scent of our sexes lingering on the bedsheets. Eyes blinking slowly, I felt a world of pain aching over my lower back, stretching down to the sensitive fold of skins between my thighs and trailing down the inner part of my legs till it reached my knees. _Oh god._

I blinked harder, trying to distinguish some sort of light in our darkened bedroom. Petyr was sleeping soundly, his breath igniting the silence of the air as he rested his tired head against the pillow. His chest heaved and fell softly, matching the soft breaths that escaped his half open mouth. I could not see his face, but I knew he wore that perfect expression of peacefulness- a hard thing to find when I looked into the eyes of parallel Pete.

I felt safe with him- secure, complete as I laid there drowsily in my lover’s arms. I did love him, and I felt it was time to tell him that. I stretched out my toes along the bed sheets, catching the threads with the tips of my toes before I let it fall back down on the bed again. I felt like a cat all curled up to its owner, cuddled to their form without any intention of leaving.

I moved my hand slightly across the tousled sheets and was surprised to feel an echo of pain. _My wrists,_ I realized, and had not realized how much pressure we had applied to it at the heat of the moment. The strain had made more than a mark on my skin, a tiny bruise was always forming in a circular pattern around my small wrists. _What was I thinking?_ The sensible part of me was slowly coming back, no longer suppressed by the pure carnal desire that came over me last night _. I hardly recognized myself_ , I reflected, and felt a tinge of blush come over my cheeks.

_He’ll never forget what I’ve done,_ I knew, _and he will want to see that side of me again_.

_What did he call me? My beautiful dark creature._ He looked at me like I was some fallen creature that was his to hold and cherish.

Something had changed last night; our relationship had taken a deeper turn. Masks were torn off, propriety forgotten, only a man and woman wanting to ravish each other in bed. Laying here in ourbed, with my face nearly pressed against his chest I could feel my body wanting him still. I had joked he was a drug, but he was more than that now, he was like the very air I breathed- something I needed in order to survive. _I needed him._

Marlo softly cooed from his side of his room, and I felt a fresh wave of embarrassment realizing he was in the room all along. _Petyr had said he was used to these things,_ I remembered, and felt Marlo had probably witnessed a thing or two between Ross and Petyr.

_Ross,_ I darkly thought, and did my best not to feel any burning resentment to the woman. _She probably has it worse than me,_ I mused, the girl forgotten and abandoned without ever having a say. Tossed into Oberyn’s arms while Petyr enjoyed in another woman. Did she feel betrayed when she found out the news that I was pregnant? She was with him for four years and bore him nothing, and I spend only a matter of days with him to give him a child. It was not fair for her, and I thought I should speak to Petyr about that when he was fully awake. But for now, my lover was fast asleep in his bed and I had no intention of waking him.

I was hungry, however, and hearing the shuttle move in the dark expansiveness of space I was eagerly to take a look out the window to see things for myself. I pressed my hands down on the blankets and tried to unravel myself out of Petyr’s arms. He made a soft noise after I lifted his right arm, but never stirred when I set it back down to the empty bed. My body ached as I rolled over the rough folds of the bedsheets, and by the time I reached the very edge I felt exhausted. “Fuck,” I mouthed, and pressed the palms of my hands together as I slid it in between my thighs. It felt like my entire lower half of my body was on fire. I flung my hair back behind my shoulders and did my uttermost best to make it to the bathroom.

If I thought walking was worse, peeing was even harder. After a few minutes I was leaning against the bathroom countertop staring at my wildly tousled hair looking like an orangey-red halo over my head. _Bed head is the worst._

The water splashed all over my face, and I did my best to clean my mouth without the aid of a toothbrush and toothpaste at my disposal. The scent of Petyr lingered over my skin, too intoxicating for my own well-being, so I staggered over to the shower and did my best to turn it on quietly. The tub was too small for a bath, a misfortune since it would have aided the throbbing down below significantly. I tossed a towel down by a nearby stool and searched for something akin to a sponge as the water continued to rinse down the drain.

A face cloth was the only thing I could find and a tiny bottle of body wash. Half satisfied I walked into the shower and lathered the musky body wash over my skin which smelt more like a man than anything else. My eyes closed deeply as I rubbed over the marks Petyr had left me, trailing the lines where his hands once were. I could almost feel the heat of his breath over my cheek, the nails barred into the sides of my hips as he grinded me against him. The heady scent of his sex as he spilled itself inside of me, pounding pressure between my legs…

I opened my eyes feeling the vision too real and noticed how perk my nipples became at the very thought of it. _I’m changing._ My back faced the heat from the shower, and I shut my eyes to drown out the thoughts that came in quick succession. _I’m changing_ , I thought again. _Into a person I hardly know._ The red marks on my wrist confirmed it, the tiny cuts that stretched along my neck and nearly burned when the hot water hit it. _He changed me_.

The bathroom door creaked open, and through the frosty glass I saw his broad figure emerge. Petyr was watching me from the other side of the glass, his hands at his sides as he took in the shadow of my naked form. He stood there for a few more moments before he took a step forward and then another. The shower door crashed open, and Petyr stood in front of the entrance with a hardened look- a look full of desire. He stepped into the tub and slammed the door behind him, reaching his arms forward to pull at the back of my neck to bring me in. He kissed me, full of desire as we went around in circles inside of the tiny shower. Water spraying over the top of his head, matting his tightened curls down to his head until dark bangs hung just over his thick eyebrows. His hands were gentle as they stroked at the soap suds that slid down my chest and waist. Lips full of purpose as he kissed me, and I felt a raging heat down below from what he was doing to me. I breathed heavily in front of him after he parted his lips, half panting as he directed me into the shower head to let the soap suds rinse away and swirl around the drain. “My beautiful girl,” he whispered in a husky voice, and then knelt on his knees to barge his face full on against my woman hood. I panted loud after that, settling my hands over his shoulders as he worked his mouth against me. His name was moaned out as I settled on the tips of my toes, nails digging into his skin unwillingly once his tongue gently prodded itself inside of me.

“Petyr, Petyr, Petyr,” I kept chanting, my voice almost being washed away by the sound of hot water beating against our skin. “Ohhh.”

Petyr moved his head to the side and kissed the inner part of my thigh, and then changed directions and payed attention to the left one. He moved upwards, darting his soft green eyes in my direction to make sure I was well pleased. “I think that is a good way…” he licked his lips on purpose. “To wish you a good morning.”

“Uh huh,” I answered with a tired nod of his head.

“Let me do it one more time,” he pleaded, eyes squinting softly to avoid the patting of droplets over head. He was drenched in water, letting it beat down the whole of his back. My Petyr was unfaced by this storm, all his attention was entirely on me. “Please, San.”

“You don’t even have to ask,” I replied with affection tethering in my voice. Petyr kissed the front of my thigh as a welcomed reply before he dipped down low again. “Oh,” I breathed, once his lips found that sacred spot again. “Pete,” I wheezed, feeling the strength of his lips contort and shape against my woman hood to bring out all the desire his mouth could bring. He lapped his tongue against my opening, swirling it around like it was some delectable treat. He heard me moan out his name, despite me jabbing my fingers into my mouth. _He wants to hear you_ , some secret voice said at the back of my head. _He’s doing this for you, because it is the only way he can show he cares._ I removed my hand from my mouth and let out every noise that my body forced from me; clapping my thighs against the side of his face to force him in place. That wretched tongue jabbed deep inside of me, forcing an elated scream to come from my lips.

“Fuck Petyr,” I whimpered, hating how he jabbed it in and then out in such a wicked fashion. “Fuck you.”

I could almost hear the faintest chuckle coming from him. He moved his hands upwards, gliding it around the sides of my hips wondrously. Petyr’s tongue lapped at me one last time and then he placed a solid kiss over the area. “For you, sweetling,” he cooed into my opening, and then only then pushed his head back to look at me. “Only for you.”

He was on his feet in the moment, slamming me against the wall to kiss me with heady desire. I tasted myself on his lips, heavily aroused and confused by this sensation. He drove his tongue through my mouth to make sure I knew the taste- the feeling, the flavour he craved for. His free hand worked at his cock, stroking it deftly till it was hardened enough to penetrate my opening. For some stupid reason I grinded myself against him, ignoring the pain I was still experiencing from the night before just to feel a new level of high again. Petyr took this as a sign, and immediately thrust himself into me, slamming me into the bathroom wall with a powerful blow. He heard my cries and surrendered himself into my arms, brushing his strong hands against my slick wet skin with hurried desire. I let him quickly fuck me against the bathroom wall, blinded by the only sensation Petyr could give, and when it was done, I was so exhausted I simply fell into his arms.

The shower head turned off, Petyr removed himself from me gently. I soon felt a towel wiping the droplets of water away from my skin, and then Petyr tucked me tightly under a fresh towel before he lifted me off the bathroom floor. He carried me like a groom does with his bride over the bathroom entranceway, and slowly walked across the smooth floor before he gently laid me down in the center of the bed. “I’ll be right back,” he promised, though his voice almost sounded like a haze. I stretched myself out with a series of moans and curled myself into a little ball in the center of the bed. I felt Petyr’s presence return, a tossing of sheets filled the air and soon they covered our bodies completely. “Just rest,” Petyr hushed, and kissed the center of my back before he pulled my body into him. My eyes lulled downwards, feeling sleep overcome even my sense of hunger as I laid in the bed. “Thank you, Sansa,” Petyr spoke into the silence, and leaned forward ever so slightly to kiss the side of my cheek.

I murmured a sound, which only brought a smile to his face. I didn’t have to see it, I felt it against my cheek.  “Petyr, I love you,” I murmured into the pillow. There was no answer on his side, but there didn’t have to be. I knew how he felt- I felt it in my heart.

A tired sigh escaped me, and I curled into his body further. Petyr patted the blankets down over the front of my chest and quietly encouraged me to sleep. “I’ll wake you up in the morning,” he promised. “And I’ll get you breakfast in bed.” He paused to hear a small sound escape my closed lips. “So, sleep, Sansa. Just sleep.”

 


	28. A Changed Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa wakes up the next morning to find a lot has changed, including her relationship with Petyr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for such a short chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it all the same. It has been a long while since I updated this fic, so I thought I would give you guys a treat since you've been waiting ever so patiently for an update. You guys are awesome!
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

Petyr’s head came into my view, blocking out the faint lighting from the window next to our bed. It was odd… I can’t remember the last time I saw stars.

“You’re up,” he observed with some excitement. Petyr sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with a raised hand to let his thumb gently graze the side of my cheek. “Morning, Sansa.”

“Morning, Petyr.”

He leaned in to kiss the side of my cheek, and then pat the side of my head to set my wild hair at bay. “I brought you some food. There wasn’t a lot of options, but I did my best.” He raised himself off the side of the bed and left me to retrieve a few things. I was just lifting my back off the bed to climb to the headboard when he came back into view. “You’re in pain,” he noted, and did his best to cover the rest of my body with heavy blankets he must have found somewhere inside an unseen closet. Once this was done, he laid a long brown tray over my lap with a plate full of bread, cheese and artificial ham. “Do you want coffee?”

“Hmmm.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I can’t feel my legs.”

He laughed as he moved backwards, doing his best to cover up the sounds as he headed towards the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he mentioned, and then promptly closed the door behind him.

I wasn’t lying, I felt nothing but pain from my waist below. I don’t even think my wrists can take the effort of lifting the food to my mouth. _Petyr might have to do it for me,_ I contemplated, but the way he is behaving this morning he might be more willing to help me. Petyr was spoiling me, showing me a side, I had never seen before. It was such a stark contrast from the first morning I woke up with him: already fully clothed, ready to bolt out the door and then grumbling when I asked him to bring me some breakfast. _My things have changed…_

The window was small in the room, but I could see a dark galaxy with an endless string of stars stretching across space. We had somehow escaped the area belonging to Dolus and were now streaming through the dark expansiveness of space to an unknown destination.

_And I kept my promise,_ I thought, _the people of Elisium are free to go back home. Petyr would be proud._

I leaned my head back on the pillow, shutting my eyes for a moment to daydream of him. The man I had loved and lost; the man that touched my heart and soul and made me feel things I would have never dreamed of. And now there was someone new- the same face, but a different man.

_Its been only days and I have his child,_ I remembered, and felt a tightness in my chest at that thought. _Oh, its so early, who knows what will happen?_ The fact of the matter is, I am pregnant with his child, and the relationship I share with this new parallel Pete is stronger than ever.

He was unpredictable, erratic, wild, free-spirited, but at other times he exhibited traits of complete seriousness and extraordinary forethought. Petyr off-handily mentioned that he planned to have a mutiny on Ares; did that not show a certain genius in his own right, a depth of planning and cunningness that explained much of his behaviour ever since the day we first met. And now, his only plan is to take me home with him; everything else is secondary. _Would he be willing to help me defeat Vasken_ , I wondered, _he said he would, but what if he suddenly changes his mind?_

_Had our experiences on the planet Dolus changed his way of thinking about Vasken Corporation? Will he take up the cause after all, or just pretend too? Where was the line drawn between Petyr’s lies and his truths? Where did his mask begin and end?_

The front door swung open and I heard clapping in front of the doorway. “Wakey-wakey!” yelled out a voice, and Oberyn stepped into the room with his hands continually clapping against each other.

“Oberyn stop,” Petyr scolded, and pushed himself past him with a small rounded tray in his hand.

“Look at your little man servant,” he teased, as he stopped in his track to take in the spectacle. “The man’s been waiting on you hand and foot.”

“I never said you can come in.” Petyr took a seat on the other side of the bed, and then dragged the tray upwards until he could rest it on his lap. It felt just right, having him sitting next to me on our bed. He handed me a fresh cup of coffee, and after he noticed how my hand trembled slightly, he laid the palm of his hand flat on the bottom of the cup to give me a little extra support. “That’s right, sweetling,” he muttered, as he watched me take a sip. “Is it right?”

“It’s good,” I said in truth, and offered him a warm smile in thanks.

Ross stepped into the room, and gently closed the door behind her. She stood at Oberyn’s side with an enormous grin, and then shook her head tentatively at Petyr with a knowing look in her eye. “You two look like a married couple.”

Petyr shrugged his left shoulder while he kept his right hand upwards to level the cup to my face.

“All they need is Marlo,” Oberyn said in a deep voice, before he knelt in front of the office chair to scratch his fingers through the monkey’s thick fur.

Petyr cleared his voice softly before he uttered out: “Please don’t wake him.”

“You do realize its nearly noon.”

“And?”

“I know the two of you had fun. Ross and I could hear it through the walls.” I closed my eyes with embarrassment, feeling even more ashamed as Oberyn continued: “We were the only ones willing to take the room right next to yours. Sansa’s brother was throwing a fit-”

Petyr broke out in laughter at that and took the cup away from me since he could no longer hold it steadily.

“But Sansa,” Oberyn stood to his feet and give me a peculiar look. “I never knew you had it in you.”

“What- what do you mean?” I sheepishly asked.

Oberyn raised a single eyebrow and then turned his gaze to Ross. “Should we tell them?”

“Why not?” she almost purred. “It made me _jealous._ ”

Oberyn reached for her hand and laid a taunt kiss upon it. “I will make it up to you tonight.” Ross rolled her eyes at him, but he pursued the matter further by tugging her hand to bring him straight into his chest. “And I’ll make sure your louder than Sansa when she screamed out-”

“No,” she warned, and placed a finger over his lip.

Oberyn smirked over her finger and then moved his head backwards just an inch as he moaned, “Ohhh Petyr!”

“Shut it.”

“Fuck me hard, Pete!”

I covered my mouth, completely caught off guard that they heard the whole thing.

Oberyn grinded himself on top of Ross as he continued his evil pantomime. “I want your cock, Petyr.”

The man in question had enough and tossed a pillow across the room to hit Oberyn on the back. “Hey! I did it right.”

“More than right, I’d say you had her screaming at the top of her lungs: "Ohhhh Petyr!"

“We get it,” Petyr blurted out, and looked around as if he was searching for another pillow to throw. “Will you shut up about it.”

“Why? The whole breakfast table didn’t. Mariam didn’t have a wink of sleep apparently.”

“Only cause she wishes it was her.”

“And it was Theodore and Richards knocking on your door.”

“And I told them to fuck off,” Petyr jeered. He lifted his own cup of coffee off the tray and took a loud slurp, clearly proud of the night we had together.

Ross lightly pushed her partner away and bent her back forward to lift Marlo off the chair. “I don’t remember being that loud with you, Pete.”

“You were at first, but then you got used to how we do things.”

“Judging by Sansa’s wrists she is warming up to certain ideas.”

“It’s a step by step process,” he wittedly replied with a sly wink to his former bedwarmer.

Oberyn laid himself out on the foot of the bed, resting his chin over the curved palm of his hand. He looked comfortable with the environment, unphased when Ross laid the sleeping looking Marlo next to his elbow. Ross sat at the corner of the bed, looking all prim and proper as she crossed her legs and leaned her body in my direction. “You’ll be alright, Sansa,” she said out of the blue, and when she pointed down to my legs that were covered in blankets, I supposed she understood the pain I was currently going through.

Petyr wrapped his arm around me, and assured Ross that she was well taken care of. This statement was finished with him offering to help me have another sip of coffee, and once that was done, he broke up my ham sandwich into smaller pieces and placed it into my mouth like I was a small child. The whole interaction was rather strange, but I felt the situation became even more curiouser when I saw the inexplicable softness to his forest green eyes. _He really is in love with me._

“After this you go back to bed, or at least lie down.”

“I couldn’t move out of this bed, even if I wanted too.”

“Will take care of you, Sansa,” he assured me, and then handed my empty tray to Oberyn to put away. Ross watched us sadly, probably thinking about better days that had long passed away. She was replaced, it was never so clearer than at this moment. Petyr placed his lips on the side of my cheek, squeezing me into his body as if he could never get enough. “San,” played on his lips more times than I can count, sounding so warm and full of love with every utterance.

Ross excused herself for having to go to the bathroom, which left the three of us in the bed together- four if you counted Marlo.

“She was sad last night,” Oberyn confided quietly. “You should talk to her Pete.”

“What about?”

“You know what I’m trying to say.”

“We were never serious.”

“Petyr,” he chided in a low tone of voice. The room felt tense for a moment, but after Petyr let out a long sigh it was obvious he was willing to broach the subject when the timing was right. “I am happy for you both,” Oberyn spoke up after a few seconds passed away. “You two look good together.”

“I’d say the same about you and Ross.”

“No,” he droned, after he shook his head most adamantly. “Its not the same.”

“I’ve seen Andrews making eyes on you.”

“Hmph.” Oberyn dropped his hands onto the bed and stretched himself out to the fullest. He never spoke another word on the matter, and instead pretended that Marlo’s waking form was the most interesting thing in the world.

Ross came out of the washroom, looking slightly uncomfortable as she walked across the bedroom floor. “Your clothes are still in there,” she muttered, and then looked around the room as if she was trying to recollect her thoughts. “I’m feeling kind of tired, so I think I’m going to head back into my room.”

“Stay,” Oberyn urged, probably sensing where her thoughts were turning too. “You can sleep here.”

“The bed is full.”

“There is room.”

“It’s full.” Her voice cracked, she covered the front of her throat worriedly. “I should go.”

Petyr pushed the tray off his lap and settled it over mine. “I’ll be back,” he whispered, and pecked the side of my cheek comfortingly, before he followed Ross out of the door with every intent to catch up with her.

The door shut loudly, and when I tilted my head upward, I found it odd that I was alone in the room with a man that was practically a stranger to me.

Oberyn scratched the top of his head, and then settled his chin down onto the bed with a look of sleepiness. “I hardly slept at all last night,” he miserably droned into the bedsheets. “God, you guys must wash these things I can…” He lifted his chin, and I could see a faint colour of pink spreading across his sheets. “So, what exactly did he do to you?”

“You can’t ask me that.”

“Would you like me to ask you when Petyr gets back?”

“You can’t ask me that at all.”

“You forget I used to watch him bed Ross,” he pointed out. “I think I’ve seen all the tricks in his book by now.”

“Why would you watch him?”

“Because I was _horny,_ ” he simply replied. “And I was waiting for my turn. The girl is a hard one to tire out.” I wished he didn’t have to smile at me that way, once he leaned his chin against the side of his arm. “But judging by last night, I’d say the same thing about you.”

“Can we not talk about this.”

“Then what would you like to talk about?”

“I don’t know.” I raised the coffee cup, blinking my eyelids shut from the pain as I heaved it higher into the air. “Where are we going?”

“To planet Gema.”

“Okay, why?”

“That is Vasken’s base, is it not?” he asked in his thick Spanish accent.

“One of many.”

“But the most important one.”

“Yes.”

“I heard at breakfast that your father might be there... they don’t know that for sure.”

“It’s possible, but its been months since I was first stranded on Plegethon. Who knows what has happened in that time?”

“There were talks of visiting other planets nearby and scoping this information out for ourselves, but as Richards reminded us all, a fancy ship like this will have people asking a lot of questions.”

“And we have no money.”

“And your Petyr is apparently a celebrity. Mariam has the bright idea of dying the sides of his temples grey, oh this should be a fun conversation.”

“He would never do that.”

“Wouldn’t he?” Oberyn took to stroking his fingers through Marlo’s fur, ignoring the fact that the creature wanted to get up and walk around the bed at this point. “I think he would do a lot for _you._ ”

“Am I selfish for wanting him to stay?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” he repeated. “But I think the things we saw on Dolus… that video by that crazy scientist David Romaski…”

“It changes things,” I added into the momentary silence. “It makes it more real.”

“It does,” he agreed with me. “I’ll try and help you convince him to stay, but don’t think I’m going to do something crazy stupid once we get there.”

“I’ll think of something,” I assured him, and then turned my head to the window to look out at the stars, amazed that they should appear in my life once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ross and Petyr's relationship is a tricky thing. Feel free to state your opinions about it down below.


	29. Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last of the Elisium crew arrive at planet Gema, but the second they walk through the security quarters they are met with a wave of suspicion.

“Holy shit!”

I looked over Richards shoulder to see him manning the ship, his hand steadily lowering down a front lever to guide the ship downward to the rose-coloured planet. It wasn’t just one shade, though, it was a matted pallet of reds and golds that made it look like one swirling image. It was beautiful, far more pleasant to the eyes then any I had seen before. My father often talked about the planet, Gema, but to see it with my own eyes was something entirely different.

Richards who had cursed aloud a moment ago, was now readjusting the Captain’s hat that had “VASKEN” printed across it in thin golden lettering. It was all a part of our plan, and we had to keep it up for appearances sake, despite of my resentful feelings towards Vasken Corporation.

“Still no incoming messages,” Jon relayed, after he pulled off his headphones on the left side of his ear. “But they will talk to us soon enough.”

“Keep it short and brief.”

The detailed map in the center of the dashboard had a red circle around our intended destination, the heart of Gema- Golden City, an apt name considering how wealthy the city was known across the universe.

I looked over my shoulder to the open doorway, still hearing the lingering music played by Petyr and Oberyn as they played cards together in the lounge area. Petyr was trying to play it cool, but I knew he was worried; he handled it well by keeping himself busy and trying to get along with the rest of the crewmates.

“Your tone’s all off!” Petyr yelled from the other room. “If you are going to sing make it right.”

I covered my mouth to hold back my laughter, and then lightly closed the doorway so I wouldn’t be able to hear the rest of Oberyn and Petyr’s bickering.

“Are you nervous?” my brother asked me, after he turned around in his seat to get a good look at me. “There is a lot at stake.”

“Tell me about it,” I joked, and then crossed my arms with nervousness.

“Our dad can be down there.”

“There is a lot of people that can be down there,” I reminded him. _Like Jane…_

“Do you think your plan will work?”

“I have no idea.”

Richard cocked his head in my direction. “This Petyr is just as smart as the last one, so we shouldn’t run into any problems.”

“Yes, but there are different levels of intelligence,” I reminded him. “He knows nothing about science and technology, and all we need is to run into the wrong person and we’re finished.”

“He’ll be fine,” Richards stated. “Stop worrying.”

_That is easier said than done._

“Did you eat?” Richards inquired, as he steered the ship downwards at a leisurely place. The man looked in command, completely comfortable managing the ship and the distinctive anatomy that only someone who worked for Vasken would be familiar with. “Sansa?”

“Yeah, I had breakfast.”

“No lunch.”

“I’m- I’m…”

“Nervous.”

“I’m not hungry,” I finished, and then crossed my arms tighter over my chest. “I just feel like we are going into this situation completely blind.”

Jon laughed from his corner of the ship. “That’s because we are, San.” My brother was finally talking to me, it took him a couple of days to get over the first night Petyr and I slept loudly together on this ship. He still wouldn’t speak to Petyr though, an awkwardness we often felt at the dinner table. _That’s when I was strong enough to join everyone else,_ I remembered, and was thankful that the painful lingering sensation down my inner thighs was finally gone. _The scars are still there though._

“You’ve gone quiet,” Jon noted. “You should really eat something. I’ll message you if we hear anything from Vasken security sector. We are still too far out for them to relay us a message.”

“Yeah,” Richards agreed. “But we’re coming in close.”

I nodded my head at the two men and took my leave, wanting to be out of the pilot’s control room for a few minutes until I got my head straightened out.

Oberyn was the first to notice me first and shot me a dashing grin from his seat. His black Vasken uniform was unzipped all the way, showing the viper tattoo that stretched across his lower abdomen. He held his cards close to his chest, hiding it from Petyr who appeared to be his opponent in the game.

My lover instantly opened his legs as he saw me approaching, casting me a lustful look in my eyes that made my cheeks almost turn a shade of red. He was in a mood again, though it had been that way since I slept with him since that night. “How are you feeling?” he asked with a quirk of his right lip. He was speaking through the corner of his mouth again, showering me with a deep raspy brogue to show how truly aroused he was.

“Better.” I smoothed down my newly acquired black uniform, hating the fact that a large V was printed over the left side of my chest. _I miss the mockingbird._

“You look better.”

“It’s cause I’m out of bed.”

“For now,” he quipped with a devious look in his eyes.

Oberyn cleared his throat and then announced, “Do you two need a moment alone.”

“No,” I quickly answered.

“Yes,” Petyr drawled out, before he threw his hand of cards across the table to expose it to his friend. “Give us five.”

“Yeah, cause I know you can do it in five.”

Petyr raised both of his eyebrows, and then shook his head slightly as Oberyn left the room. He pushed back the chair with the bottom of his boot and then plopped down on the circular table with his legs far apart. “What is it, sweetling?”

“I’m worried.”

He nodded his head a fraction. Stormy green eyes glared at me with intent, and then he tilted his head away as if he was thinking something. “You can always turn back around.”

“I know.”

“I do want to take you there, you know.”

“I know,” I repeated with a tiny smile. “I want to see it too.”

“I’m afraid all of my plans will fall apart the longer I am away. But that’s what happens when you work for both sides.”

“So, you are a spy,” I teased, as I walked towards him.

“Something like that,” he admitted. “Except I work for myself.” He reached forward to take my hand lovingly. “I’ll tell you all about it one day.”

“You’re finally opening up.” Petyr had a hold of both of my hands now, staring at me hard with with a penetrating gaze. It looked like he had so many thoughts playing in his mind, so many things to distract him while he kept his gaze on me.

“You really think I can sneak into the other Petyr’s quarters?”

“I think we can go far, but it will require you to lie a lot.”

“Something I’m rather experienced at,” he said with a sinister look about him. His head quirked to the right a bit, while an eyebrow lowered quizzically. “You’re not planning to destroy Vasken entirely, are you?”

“I only want to find out its weakness. We give it to the right people and then we leave this universe for good.”

“So, this isn’t an all out war?”

“I’m not a soldier, Petyr,” I reminded him. “I’m an explorer.”

“And I’m a politician.”

“I thought you said you were a smuggler!”

He smirked at me, and I couldn’t help but notice how the lighting of the room only shined on one side of the face. “I have many roles to play,” he jeered, and then tugged on my hands to pull my body into his. “How long are you going to keep me at bay?”

“I’m better now.”

“Oh, you are more responsive when I’m more direct,” he pointed out, and then tutted quietly under his breath. “That is good to know.”

“Thank you for not spending the night with Ross,” I hushed, feeling guilty that I should even have to say it aloud.

“Abstinence might be a good thing for us,” he answered me to my surprise. He rubbed the back of my hand with his fingers, letting his eyes fall over the area as he added, “And besides its just us now, I’ve told you that before.” His lip quirked upward to the side as he jeered, “And, not having you for three days makes me want you even more.”

“But we had some good conversations,” I reminded him, as I recalled our late-night pillow talks we had to pass the time away. “I feel like I know more about you now.”

A soft smile played upon his face, and it brightened even more when I leaned my chest closer to his own. “It goes both ways, sweetling.” He inched his eyebrows up a bit as an open invitation, and then I planted my lips over his in reply. _My Petyr,_ I thought, and let him pull my hands around his back so I was leaning on him entirely. _Things have changed for the better for us, finally._

With Petyr kissing me, my mind was no longer able to wander. It was if he had frozen time, letting me get lost in the moment as he broke away our hands and then reached upwards to cup the flats of his hands around my cheeks. He kissed me lovingly, just as he had been doing as of late. There was something different between us ever since I made that small confession, a vulnerability that tethered in the air. The sounds of us kissing igniting the air, the low breaths escaping us every now before we went in for more. I used my hands to spread his legs out wider, pressing myself into his space as I kissed him harder on the lips. He fingered his way through my hair, stroking it upwards before he let it fall back in place. His tender movements said it all: He loved me, and he was here to stay. I waited until his lips hovered just over my cheek before I took a hold of the sides of his face and directed his gaze towards me. “Petyr?”

“Yes, Sansa.”

I licked my lips nervously, and then lowered the lids of my eyes for an instance. I swallowed hard as I let it glance back upwards to catch the richness of his grey-green eyes. “I love you.”

He blinked at me nervously, and then offered a shy sort of smile. “I know,” was all that he could reply, and then let his eyes lower down to the bottom of my chin.

I felt nervous, so I quickly rapped out, “In case anything does happen down there, I just wanted you to know that.”

I felt his head shake upwards and downwards in my hand, and it was then that I realized he was nodding. “Will be fine,” he promised me, and then pushed his head past my loose grip to get at my kiss-swollen lips again. _I can only hope his words ring true._

* * *

Marlo leaped off a nearby table and landed on the top of Petyr’s shoulder with a loud squeal. The crew around us laughed at the spectacle, while Petyr non-chantly pulled out some small bits of snacks from his pocket and placed it into Marlo’s open mouth. “I hate that you won’t let me bring him.”

“You can, but I’ll have to carry him. The other Petyr never had a pet.” I looked away from the open window that showed the silvery grey base we were slowly landing in front of. “And you know this creature isn’t from around her.”

“We can lie and say it was.” A terrible smirk came over him as he mused aloud, “From that planet…err… what did you call it again?”

“Plegethon?”

“That’s it.”

“Petyr, you have to remember facts like this. You were stranded there for five years after all.”

“I know, I forgot,” he quickly said as an excuse, and then looked around the open room in embarrassment, since he knew the others could overhear us. Everyone was in the lounge area, standing in front of the floor to ceiling window that was exposed after we slid open a secret wall. I wasn’t going to lie, being so high up from the flight deck was giving me a sense of vertigo. _It’s a good thing I’m not afraid of heights._

Mariam stepped forward and immediately joined our little conversation: “If you want to know more about the Zimmerman Project, Richards is the best to inform you on it. He did join the expedition with you after all.”

Petyr frowned at her, as he spat out, “The _other_ Pete!”

“You will still have to know about it, and more importantly why the project went so horribly wrong.”

Petyr looked at me with annoyance, clearly not thrilled about the idea of posing as a man he clearly despised. He moved away from the glass window with Marlo over his shoulder and decided to join into the conversation between Andrews and Oberyn.

“You know,” Mariam piped up with that annoying voice of hers. “Richards is staying behind.”

“He told me.”

“I’m sorry,” she hushed, knowing how close I was to the man I still regarded as a friend.

“He wants to get back to his wife and daughter, how can I blame him?” I looked over my shoulder to make sure my brother wasn’t near when I added, “Jon might not come as well.”

“Why?” she breathed out with astonishment. “He is your brother.”

_Half-brother,_ I thought, but decided to leave that story for another time. “He… doesn’t feel like he will have an important role to play in our journey. He’s an engineer.”

“All the more reason to have him.”

“I don’t know,” I tiredly replied. “He just doesn’t have any interest in joining us. He wants to go back home and find our mother… and his girlfriend.”

“Then, I’m sorry,” Mariam answered me with a genuine sound to her voice. “Truly, I am.”

I sniffed slightly as I fought back the cold from being so close to the window. “It’s alright. He doesn’t really get along with Petyr anyways.”

“Neither does Richards,” Mariam laughed, and shot a grin in my direction.

_And you,_ I thought, but didn’t bother voicing that part aloud. It did pain me that she had to come, but if anyone knew there way around Vasken it would be Mariam. “So, what’s our plan?”

“Hopefully we don’t have to go through heavy security. After that, we snoop around and see what I have missed for the past… oh, I don’t know _five_ years.” She stopped when she heard my laughter, somewhat pleased that I caught her sarcasm. “Petyr will have to pretend to be Petyr, if that makes sense. If we succeed, he will have access to nearly everything, and that is when we plan to take Vasken down.”

“What about Jane?”

“I’m not sure,” she mused aloud. “It is tricky, isn’t it?”

“Can we not smuggle parallel Pete inside of the base and see what happens from there.”

“He’s practically a celebrity,” Mariam chided. “It will be difficult.”

“What if he trusts someone? Will someone be willing to help him?”

“I could,” she said with half a smile. “We were _close_ for a time, and my passwords should work.”

_Close,_ I thought, and found my teeth biting down on my tongue bitterly. _Yes, I know how close the two of you were._

“We will just have to chance it,” Mariam piped up, and then let out a nervous sigh as the bridge to the flight deck was practically beneath the ship. The engines droned as it hovered in the air, and then we heard the machines working beneath our feet to set down the stands that would help us land flatly against the ground. There was security lined up along the flight deck all ready, and none of them were human. _Welcome to the age of the machines,_ I thought, and then tapped at the side of my thigh slightly with nervousness.

“We got five minutes!” Richards yelled out from the flight control deck, and then every member of the ship was scrambling to get ready. I ran over to Petyr and helped him place Marlo inside of the cage, and then he in turn strapped it over my shoulders with a protective gesture. I was zipping up my uniform all the way as I scanned the lounge area for one final time. It was clear we were nervous, knowing this wouldn’t be an easy ride for any of us.

“I hope I remember everything,” Petyr confessed with an uneasy breath, and then scratched the back of his head with a nervous gesture.

“Just remember to act like him,” I pleaded. “Remember how Osen taught you his walk.”

“Yeah.”

“Stance too.”

“Yeah,” he said with annoyance.

“And no swearing,” I begged, which earned a hearty laugh from him. “I mean it, Pete.”

We heard some loud beeping outside the front entrance, and then an artificial sound declaring, “Attention! Attention, please depart the shuttle craft. I repeat, please depart the shuttle craft.”

“Pete,” I frantically breathed, and took his hand in mine. “We got this right?”

“It will be fine,” he assured me, and then pressed a chaste kiss to the side of my cheek. “Just fine.”

To prove his resolve, he pushed himself in front of the crowd, and did everything in his power to look like the other Petyr with an arrogant stance and all. I knew the man before me now was a shadowy resemblance of Lord Petyr Baelish, inventor and creator of biological artificial intelligence; head of the Zimmerman Project, and by all accounts one of the richest members of Vasken Corporation. Petyr let out a small sigh from the crack of his lips, and then went in front of the door where Richards was just unclasping the security flap that prevented the door from opening until now. “Good luck out there,” Richards mentioned, and held out his large hand for Petyr to shake. “And don’t go telling them who you are, unless they start asking. We still haven’t figured out the greys yet.”

Petyr shot him a fiendish grin. “You never know, I might have dyed it black.” Richards grunted at him in response, and then punched in the four-digit security code to let the door shush open upwards. _It’s time to face our demons,_ I mused, as Petyr pulled down an oxygen mask that hovered over his head from the ceiling and slyly placed it over his face. Air gusted through the tightly concealed mask, making his breathing sound almost unearthly as he watched the last of the compartment door open. “Fuck,” he breathed into the mask, as we all could see the line of eight droids standing just below the staircase of the ship. “Fuck me,” he added with hesitation riveting through his voice, and then with an intentional roll of his shoulders backwards he stepped through the open door.

The rest of the crewmembers quickly grabbed a hold of an oxygen mask, knowing the air outside the shuttlecraft wasn’t completely combatable to our breathing. The sound of wind rocked across the side of the shuttle, grating shards of sand breezing past the front of the narrow ship as it continued to station itself in front of metallic flight deck area. Mariam was the second to step through the door, and her husband was quick to follow her. Douglas, Andrews and Osen were next, but luckily for me Oberyn and Ross were kind enough to calm Marlo down, who was making all kind of fuss for some unknown reason.

“Let me take him,” Ross entreated, and to save time I quickly consented to her suggestion and handed her Petyr’s beloved pet. “Go! Petyr will be worried if he doesn’t see you.”

I stood to my feet and ran towards the front entrance, barely wishing Richards and Jon goodbye until they called out my name. “Hey, San-San,” Jon murmured, after he held me in a tight embrace. “Take care of yourself, you here.”

“I will.”

“I’ll take care of our family till you get back,” he assured me, but something in my heart told me I was never coming back to my home planet, maybe never even seeing my brother again.

“Sansa,” Richards scolded with a pointed finger. “You better keep that man of yours in line.”

“I will,” I laughed, and quickly brushed his hand away so I could give him one last hug. “I’m happy you’ll finally get to be with your family again.”

“Yeah, and I don’t intend on leaving them,” he retorted, and then smoothed his hand over my back in a loving gesture. “Be yourself,” he uttered under his breath. “Don’t change for nobody, including _him._ ”

“You two could never get along.”

“No,” he grunted, after I let myself sleep out of his arms. We paused once we saw Oberyn and Ross step out of the shuttle craft and found it odd that we should be left alone with only my brother’s lingering gaze in our direction. “You know I would do anything for the other Pete. We went through a lot together, but I just can’t do it for _him._ ”

“You don’t have to explain yourself.”

“I know I’ve been an outright jerk lately, but its only because I’m worried about you. I’m _still_ worried about you! But my family comes first, and my wife would kill me if she found out I put you over her.” He laughed lightly and left a hand over the side of my arm. “Just be smart about everything. Don’t let your emotion get in the way.”

“Of what?”

“Anything,” he warned, and then patted his hand over the side of my arm with a look of regret. “You do good out there and make _our_ Petyr proud.”

I offered him a sad smile, and then let my gaze fall over my brother for one last time. “Goodbye Jon.”

“Bye, San-San,” he uttered with a voice full of feeling. _He’ll be the last person to ever call me that in a good long while,_ I realized, and then sadly left his presence to position myself in front of the open doorway. I could hear my breathing grow louder inside of the mask when I saw the line of androids staring at me through large black eyes, their long slender frames easily made them the tallest out of everyone, and I felt some sense of anxiety as they surrounded my friends.

“That’s all of them,” Petyr confidently spoke aloud, and then stood in front of the pure white android that appeared to be in command.

“Follow-us,” the robot drawled out in a slow manner, its voice attempting to sound human, but the frigidness of the voice hardly escaped me. Years ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about this scene, but I had experienced too much, and lost the man that I loved by the hands of Vasken to ever forget their true nature.

Parallel Petyr wanted me by his side, but he had to play his role, and so he was the first to take a step forward to lead us down the wide walkway. The silver floor gleamed beneath my feet, making it almost a possibility to see my reflection when I looked at the ground. My boots were able to tread over the smooth surface easily, so that was one less worry to think about. The mask played in my favour as well, since it shielded my eyes from the harsh natural lighting from the planet that added head to the surrounding area. It was hot outside, but not as nearly as hot as the blaring temperatures I had briefly known on the planet Plegethon.

The walkway was empty except for ourselves, so it let me look all around the surrounding area without anything obstructing my view. The walkway led to a large circular building made of the same kind of steel material from the outside, which reflected the peachy coloured surface of the sandy ground below. The sky was clear, allowing me to see as far as the eye could see; small mountains rose out from the horizon, like craggy rocks that attempted to reach its way to the clear yellow sky. The androids marched ahead of us in unison, uncomfortably silent as they led the way to the main Vasken base.

My crewmates were silent as well, probably too busy taking in the surrounding area that almost left us in a daze. The entranceway doors were slowly opening, two at a time branching out like open arms as it silently moved across the silver-sheened floor. The inside was brightly lit, harsh fluorescent lighting hovering over the security sector- an area I had been dreading for the past twenty-four hours.

“Fall in line,” one of the nameless androids called out at the front, and then I found the rest of the androids positioning themselves on either side of us in an eerie manner.

There was a long table in front of us, but only one seat was taken in the far right. A bored looking man was sitting there with his head resting over the palm of his hand, but when he noticed we were in Vasken’s official black uniforms, the ones we cleverly stole from the shuttle craft, the security guard seemed to straighten up his back a bit. “Alright, I’ll take the first one!” he barked out and pointed at the first one in line that just so happened to be Petyr. I found myself pressing close to Douglas as I tried to get a good view, watching Petyr casually walking up to the front desk as if he had nothing to hide. “Name!”

“Petyr Baelish.”

The man’s fingers halted over the tablet, and then he glanced upwards to really study the man. “What did you just say?”

“Petyr- Baelish,” he uttered out word for word.

The man blinked at him quizzically, and then shot a glance over to the long line of people still waiting in queue. “Give me a moment.” The guard raised himself from his seat, and walked past the long black table before he entered a door at the side of the wall without another look back.

_We’re screwed._

Marlo was screeching in his cage, probably sensing that his owner was in trouble. Douglas was leaning heavily against me for some reason, while eyeing the android that was standing just next to us. They had no weapons on them, but that did not mean they were somehow built in. _Yeah, we’re fucked._

No one made a sound. Our attention diverted towards Petyr in the front of the room and the long line of eight robots that could possibly execute us without a moment’s notice. Petyr leaned over the front of the table, and then thought better of it. He still had trouble breaking his own habits, pretending to be someone he wasn’t was a continual struggle for him. He looked over his shoulder to take a glance at me, and no amount of bravery could take away the worry away from his eyes.

We stood there in the silence for the longest ten minutes of my life, and then finally the side door opened again, but it was someone different. The guard trailed behind a tall, blond-haired man; his confident gait was rather imposing, and the way his boots clattered across the floor showed he meant business. I had a faint recognition of him, but where I had seen this man before was still a mystery to me. Sharp blue eyes scanned over the entire crowd, and then it looked like his curiosity was satisfied for the time being. The man stood directly behind the guard’s chair, and then waited for the man to take his seat again, before he leaned forward with intention.

Marlo started up his screeches again, going made in the clear cage; Ross techniques weren’t helping and the fact that Petyr appeared to be in danger made it worse. Petyr shot a nervous glance over his shoulder to look at the group of us, and then put on a well concealed mask as he turned his gaze to the man behind the chair.

“Go ahead,” the man ordered, and then the security guard started up his tablet to get the system loading again.

“Right,” the guard bellowed out loud enough for us all to hear. “Name.”

“Petyr Baelish.”

“Petyr Baelish,” the tall, blond-haired man repeated. “Is that really you?”

“In the flesh,” Petyr joked, and I only wish his back was to me so I could see that familiar smile of his.

“I hardly recognized you,” the taller man continued, and then stretched out his hand for Petyr to shake. “But I’d say you had the same situation as well.”

_Oh no._

Petyr shook his hand weakly, clearly aware that he had messed up somehow.

The man released his grip from Petyr, and then smoothed his hand down his dark black uniform with golden engraving on the pads of his shoulders. He was well past his prime, but he notably looked good for his age. Blonde hair neatly combed to the side, while bright blue eyes stared at the man in front of him with a dead-pan expression. “ _Memory_ has a funny way of escaping us, doesn’t it?” he asked aloud, with something of a smile. “It will come soon enough.”

The man moved backwards and let his hand slink over the smooth tabletop surface as he walked to the left of him. “He has passed this stage of the security section,” the man said over the guard’s shoulders. “His _friends_ are next.”

Petyr was told to place his hand over a nearby scanner on the table, and then to stand perfectly still as they took a photograph of his face. One of the androids approached him and ordered Petyr to follow him past the first security sector and to go into an adjoining room. _Petyr,_ I worriedly thought, as he took one last look back.

I felt the will to follow him, but luckily Oberyn held me back. “Let him be,” he whispered over the tops of my shoulder, and then squeezed his grip around my arm to settle me back down. “He can take care of himself.”

I wanted to argue back, but who knew how many voice recorders were secretly around. And then, there’s the androids…

Mariam was the second person to step forward, clearly the most willing to have an examination in front of the sharp looking man. “Name,” the security guard droned in a tired sort of voice.

“Doctor Mariam Waters.” She turned her head to the left suddenly, and rapped out, “Hello, Lord Tywin.”

“Oh, so you did recognize me?”

“I did,” she said with a certain primness.

“But Lord Baelish didn’t,” he said with suspicion, and made sure to eye the woman carefully.

“We were stranded on Plegethon for so many years. Who knows what affects we have suffered… the kind of exposure that we encountered?”

“To make him forget the one man he has been working with for nearly ten years.”

“You will have to ask him yourself,” she quickly replied, and then averted her attention to the security guard that was clearly caught in the middle.

“Let her pass as well,” Lord Tywin drawled. “It seems we have a lot of catching up to do.” The man let his hand go slack down the table top and then dismissed himself on his own accord. I watched his determined strides past the long table top, and he had no hesitation to slam the door harshly behind him.

_No, we are beyond being fucked now. That man knows there is something not right with Petyr, and who knows what will happen next._

 


	30. Seperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they are guided around Vasken's base, Petyr nerves get the best of him, especially when he is threatened to be separated from his crew-mates, including Sansa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School has been hectic for the past few weeks, so that is the reason for the delay. This chapter is rather short, but I know you will appreciate a long awaited update all the same. 
> 
> Thanks for still reading this story,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

It’s funny.

How humans become so immune to technology, so immersed in its environment we are hardly aware of it at all.

For as long as I could remember technology was all around me, it was an everyday occurrence- a thing I hardly thought about at all. But then I met Petyr, the original one, and he opened my eyes to a world of artificial intelligence that had awakened, it had a mind of its own.

I wonder how he would feel now, standing in this cold empty room with nothing but white wall space around us, and a panel of black glass over the ceilings and upper walls, a panel that was like an unblinking eye that continually watched us.

I stood in the center of the room; Petyr had his arm wrapped around my waist to keep me close. We were doomed lovers awaiting our fate, knowing the end was near but there was nothing we could do to stop it. Its amazing what you think of in your last moments: the last look in my old Petyr’s eyes before he died on me, the very last words he uttered under his breath, the way his hand lost grip in my own and dropped to the side of the hospital bed. Had he foreseen this fate long ago, and was that the reason he was so determined to stop it?

There was nothing I could do now, I failed him as well as myself. “I’m sorry,” I muttered under my breath to both Petyr’s, and felt the reassuring stroke down my back from the man who held me tightly in his arms.

“Its alright, love.”

“I’m so sorry.” I looked over his broad shoulder, seeing Mariam quietly conversing with Theodore in the depths of his ear. What does it matter, the computers can probably lip read? They could probably hear every word we are saying? Take our body temperature, catch our reactions, replay them over and over again until they can predict our next move. We were under a microscope; a damn man-made prison and my old Petyr was the one that created it all.

Douglas was the last enter, and he looked almost terrified as he ran up to us. “Sansa! They are taking Oberyn and Ross away!”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Pete?”

He maneuvered his arm higher up my back and with furrowed eyebrows he looked down at Douglas. “Where are they taking them?”

“Higher level of security they said. The two of them don’t match up with the records.”

“Of course,” he breathed out, once he finally realized our error. “Of course, they wouldn’t.”

 _They don’t belong here,_ I remembered, and then feared what would happen if Vasken discovered the truth about their parallel universe. _They will want to inspect Marlo too,_ I fretted, and felt Petyr would never forgive me for that.

A side panel opened on the furthest wall, and a man with dark hair and thickly framed black glasses approached us at a slow pace. “Welcome,” he said with faintly grey eyes, that almost looked unnerving. “Please, come.”

“He’s one of them,” I whispered to Petyr, and took his hand to hold tighter in my own. _There is no way in hell I’m letting them take him away from me._

“Lord Baelish.” Petyr visibly hesitated, still unaccustomed to being referred to that name. “It is a great honour, sir.”

Petyr nodded his head, and then gave me a look to show how truly bewildered he was.

“And Doctor Mariam Waters too, a great honour.” The fully artificial drone was in front of us now, it looked so human-like you wouldn’t know it was a machine. He wore a dark black suit with a pristine white dress shirt that was perfectly ironed and pressed, the high leather boots looked comfortable as he took each step. “And I believe…” He tilted his head slightly, trying to recognize my face my face for a few awkward moments. “…I know you as well.”

“No,” I shot out with narrowed eyes. “I’ve never met you before.”

“Forgive the lack of introduction,” he explained, and I noticed his accent had suddenly mimicked my own faint British one. “My name is Will Hitchson.”

“Still doesn’t ring a bell.”

“A bell?” he repeated with a certain level of confusion.

 _I really do hate these things._ I rolled my eyes at him and attempted to walk past Will, but he raised up an arm to block me. “Get your hands off me!”

“Wait a moment,” he entreated with a dead-pan voice. “Wait.”

“I’m not waiting for anything.”

“Wait,” he repeated, and then used his strong arm to push me back in my original spot. Petyr was getting testy and it was only a matter of time until a fight broke out. “I still haven’t given you the instructions.”

“What instructions?”

“For Lord Baelish,” Will answered me. “It concerns Lord Baelish.”

“Alright, what is it?” asked the man beside me. “What do you want?”

“You are the father of us, and we extend our welcome.” He knelled before Petyr, and even the lighting in the room flickered around us. “We welcome you _home._ ”

A sigh escaped Petyr, it was clearly too much for him to understand.

Will raised himself to his normal level, and then stretched out his arm for Petyr to walk past him. “We extend our greetings,” he relayed with a hint of emotion in his voice, and Petyr had no choice but to walk past him.

Petyr grabbed a hold of my arm and dragged me harshly behind him. He was scared I knew; uncomfortable with the fact that he was stepping into the unknown, a thing he and never seen before in his own world- only ours.

The rest of our small party followed him, and Will took a place by his side with an unnatural step. Petyr kept looking at his profile, staring at this man that was a complete mystery to him. _And to think that the other Petyr created him, all of them to be exact._

We walked down a narrow hallway, where a long stripe of ivory white panels stretched down the hallway for as far as we could see. I rested my hand over the empty gun strap, hating the fact the lovely gun I had was left on the ship. _Its not like I could use it anyways,_ I deliberated, and felt the situation I was in was dangerous enough.

Petyr dragged his hand down my arm, and let it slide over the rigid bone of my wrist before he interlaced our fingers together. He gave me a look that showed he would protect me at all cost, the darkness in his steely grey eyes told me that for certain.

I hated how dim the hallway was, the way the floor shined a glossy black with tiny holes that let out pressurized air. _Androids don’t need oxygen,_ I remembered, _but we do._

I looked over my shoulder to see Osen right behind us, a man that we hired to protect us but was completely unable too do so now. We were helpless, tightly held by the hands of Vasken Corporation.

“Where are you taking me?” Petyr demanded in sharp tone of voice.

“To your room.”

“My room?”

“Yes, of course.”

Petyr looked at me, and then glanced over his shoulder to glare at Mariam. _He won’t get any answers from her_. “What about everybody else?”

“They will be given rooms too.”

“Sansa is with me,” he yelled out, and pulled my hand into the middle of his chest.

“As you wish,” Will answered him, though there was a slight hesitation. _It was almost as if he froze for a moment._

Petyr glanced in my direction, wanting to see if I noticed the android’s strange behaviour as well.

The hallway ended, and a sealed black door was before us. The android simply stood in front of it, and the door began to open, as if Will had silently communicated with it. Petyr looked at me again, an occurrence that I now found somewhat amusing as each new thing surprised him. It was clear he was out of his element, but I could only hope he would play his role well. The door slid open all the way, and it looked like we were about to enter a virtual nest, for the walls and ceiling was covered with flickering screens, a dark background with neon blue lines traveling across them, making it incomprehensible to understand the meaning behind them. The screens went black the moment Petyr stepped through the doorway, and only a pale white lighting cascading from the ceiling was seen in the center of the room. Petyr halted, his hand gripping mine fiercely as he was filled with fear. The room fell silent, as if something- or _someone_ was waiting for us.

“Come into the light,” the android instructed, and took a step backwards to allow our small party to pass.

_And what will happen if we do?_

Petyr straightened his back and walked ahead of the crowd, pulling on my hand so I would quickly follow him. He wavered to step into the light, and when he finally did, there was a small tapping sound coming from off the ceilings. Petyr looked upwards and then around the room, before he finally let his dark green eyes fall over my visage. “San,” he mouthed with worry, but not a sound could escape his lips.

The lights were so bright over our head that I ended up lifting a hand to cover the front of my face. It was blinding, and I found my chin tilting downwards till it very nearly rested over my chest.

I heard boots pounding the ground, and then followed the sound to see that Will Hitchson was moving backwards. I lowered my hand to see his pale visage, the smoothness of his face that was now turned in my direction. “Sansa Stark,” he uttered out with recognition.

“Yes?”

“You have confirmed your identity.”

I turned my gaze away from him, and let it rest on Petyr with worry. _Was I supposed to keep it a secret,_ I wondered, _had I not informed the guard of my name before I entered the security room? But that was a human,_ I remembered, and wondered if that made a difference.

The droid darted his eyes between Petyr and I again, as if he was processing information. I felt a tightness in my hand from my partner, and knew he sensed that something was wrong as well.

“The orders will be cared out,” he voiced aloud, though I suspected it wasn’t exactly intended for us. “To your rooms.”

An unseen door opened dead ahead of us, a large screen attached to the front of the door showed a dim reflection of ourselves clothed in the usual black Vasken uniforms. I barely recognized myself, or Petyr either as we headed to the open doorway.

“We should stay together,” Mariam entreated, once she was close enough behind my ear.

“I don’t think we can,” I whispered back, knowing this situation is entirely out of our hands.

“Then make sure you stay with Petyr,” she warned, before she stepped back to be her husband’s side again.

 _I’ll do everything in my power to make sure of it,_ I deliberated, before I stepped through the open doorway to find us in a dark tunnel. The lighting was dim here, small spotlights casting along the sides of the white brick walls. _Is there anyone even on this planet other than robots,_ I contemplated, noticing how lifeless and silent this long hallway seemed to be as we walked down it.

To be honest I was waiting for something to happen, like a trap set up for us to walk right into; the typical lack of oxygen in a small concealed room or a poison sprayed into the air. They only needed Petyr and Mariam, but the rest of us are disposable.

At the end of the hall was an elevator door, and once again it opened without Will Hitchson ever having to move a muscle. _If he even has one,_ I thought, and ignored that small little pun for now. A large grey metal door opened; the elevator was large enough for a car to fit inside of it, maybe even two. Our party quietly ushered ourselves inside of the elevator, taking note that the only one that looked relatively calm was Will.

The elevator was surprisingly brightly lit and clean, so much that I could see my reflection casted upon all four sides of the wall. Petyr grabbed a hold of my waist again, pulling me into his frame till I was squished against him. He lowered his lips to the side of my head, breathing in its scent for a moment before he placed a tender kiss to it.

I felt someone was staring at me, and when I looked in the corner of my eye, I noticed that the android caught the whole thing. His gaze was fixated on us, unblinking, so much so that I nervously moved my head from Petyr so he couldn’t kiss me anymore.

“What is it?” he asked with worry, and when I avoided eye contact with him it only made the situation worse. “San?”

The elevator stopped moving upwards, and it jolted slightly before the door cracked open from the metallic coloured floor.

“San,” Petyr entreated, and moved my body around to face him completely.

“Its fine.”

“No.”

“Really,” I implored, and shifted my body out of his grip to create a tiny bit of space. I looked to my left to see Mariam had seen the whole thing, and her eyebrows lowered slightly as if a thought came over her.

“You will all be situated on the same floor,” Will Hitchson informed us.

“What about my friends?” Petyr piped up. “The ones you left behind.”

“You are speaking of Oberyn Martell.”

“And Ross!” Petyr added with a darkness to his eyes. “And my monkey.”

“They are…” Will’s jaw froze mid-way, and I noticed an emptiness in his stare as he gazed in our direction. “…currently...”

“Yeah?”

“Under investigation,” he answered us in a monotoned voice.

“For what?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that,” Will rapped out over his shoulder, for he was the first to exit the enormous elevator.

“And why not?”

“I do not have the jurisdiction to tell you that, Lord Baelish.”

“And who does?”

Will chose not to answer that question, and instead stretched out his long legs further to create a gap between us.

Petyr’s entire face darkened, as an inconceivable anger came over him. He let go of my hand to run after the android, and once he caught up to Will, he made sure to stand directly in front of him. Will stopped in his tracks and made no movements as Petyr took a deliberate step into his space. “Who does?”

“They will be speaking to you shortly,” he softly answered him. “Then you will know everything.”

“Why do I have to wait?”

“Because I have to take you to your rooms.”

“Why?”

“Because I am ordered too.”

“By who?” Will remained as still as a statue, and even when Petyr stepped into the last of his space the android did not quiver. “Who?”

I kept a careful distance between the two of them, surrounding myself with the rest of the Elisium crew for extra support. Douglas was kind enough to stand right beside me, darting his eyes in my direction every now and then with worry.

“Who?” Petyr drawled out with frustration, and I feared he would swing at the android if he didn’t tell him soon.

The lights in the hallway dimmed, until only the emergency spotlights were on. Petyr backed off, obviously caught off guard by the change in lighting. A look of fear came over his eyes the longer he stared at Will, and soon he was backpedaling around Will to get back to me.

“What is it?” I whispered, as I outstretched my hands to reach him. “Petyr?”

He shook his head woodenly, appearing unable to answer my question.

“We have exactly one minute and thirty-three seconds,” Will spoke over his shoulder. “In accordance to our schedule.” His boots shifted across the clean floor; his pale grey eyes unblinking as it turned in my direction. “I intend to get there on time,” he relayed in a monotone voice.

“Petyr just calm down,” I warned, as I could hear his heavy breathing. “It isn’t worth it.”

“Where did they take them?”

“Petyr,” I chided, and took a hold of his arm with both hands to keep him at my side.

“I’m not leaving them,” he hushed into my ear.

“You’re not,” I implored. “But now isn’t the time.”

Petyr visibly grinded his teeth together, and only submitted once I rubbed my hands down his strong arm.

“Go on!” Petyr bellowed to the back of Will Hitchson, and then jerked his chin upwards to show the adam’s apple lodged in the center of his throat.

“Follow me,” Will promptly answered back, and then stretched out his legs to lead us down the rest of the dark hallway.

“That guy’s creepy,” was heard somewhere behind me. Douglas’ words seemed to sum up our thoughts well enough, even if the man in question could hear it.

The first door that appeared to the left of us was designated to be Petyr’s, and before the words had barely left Will’s mouth the doors seemed to be opening on its own accord.

“Sansa is coming with me,” Petyr shot out, and was quick to pull me into his side the second Will turned his head in our direction. “It’s not up for debate.”

“I never said it was,” Will dryly replied with a dead-pan expression.

“Good!”

“I have a room assigned for Miss. Sansa Stark-”

“-which she will decline,” Petyr cut in, and pushed me through the door before the droid could have another word.

Petyr quickly stepped into the room as well, caught off-guard by how fast the door was sliding behind him. The loud yell of “Petyr!” from the thin crack of the doorway claimed both of our attention, but the last of Mariam’s warning was blotted out by the sealing of a door.

“Sansa,” Petyr breathed, and frantically took a hold of me to make sure I was there for certain. “God, that was close.”

“What was Mariam yelling out your name for?”

“I don’t know.”

“She sounded worried.”

“Yeah.”

“Petyr, I’m scared.”

“We’re together, that’s all that matters now.”

“Pet-” it was cut off, by him desperately placing his lips over mine. He kissed me frantically, short and hurried-like as his strong arms wrapped around my trembling frame.

“We’re together,” he breathed out the second he parted his lips from mine. “Together, San. That is more than anyone else can say.”

“Why are we in here?”

“I don’t know.”

I looked over his shoulder to see a normal bedroom, but I knew by now that looks can be so deceiving.

I licked my lips nervously before I questioned him: “What do they want from us?”

“Shouldn’t you know that.”

“No,” I answered him with a sad shake of the head. “I thought I knew what was going on, but now I’m so unsure of everything.” My eyebrows furrowed together as I quickly scanned the room. “They can probably hear us even now… see us…”

“What should we do?”

“Stay here,” I replied. “It’s not like anywhere else is safe.”

He released his hold from me, and tiredly wandered away from the front door. “I’m so worried about Oberyn and Ross,” he grudgingly relayed to me with a slight hunch to his shoulders. “I should have let them stay on the ship.”

“They wanted to help.”

“I should have stayed on that ship.”

“Petyr.”

“I could be home by now.”

“You don’t know that.”

“What were we thinking?” he wailed, and then let out a heated breath to give into the last of his worries. “We need a plan.”

“We already have one, and we will go along with it.” He bit down on his lip, looking unconvinced by such a prospect. “We can’t give up now.”

“No,” he agreed with me. “But I’m not leaving them on their own.” He strode towards the door and then looked around for some latch or button to open it.

“This isn’t the dark ages, Petyr,” I chided, and then cleared my throat to get his attention. “Computer open the door.” There was a beeping sound next to the door, which showed I had no authority to open it. “You do it.”

“Me?”

“Try.”

Petyr did as he was told but was met with the same low beeping over the doorway as well. _We’re trapped._

Petyr laid the palm of his hand flat on the doorway, seeing if he could find anything to pry the doorway open. I knew it would be completely useless, so I simply strayed away from the door to look around the room. There was a thin grey blind on the left side of the room, and when I pressed a small yellow button it slowly reclined itself upwards to showcase the view outside of the window. I expected to see the planet’s surface, but instead I saw a roaring white fountain in the center of a garden area, a green space that was three levels high with enough wildlife to last a generation at least.

“Petyr, come over here!” I entreated and pointed out a small golden finch that was resting on a tree near our window. “I’ve never seen those before.”

“Birds,” he breathed out with amazement. “You normally see them in old vintage videos or photographs, but not-”

“-with our own eyes,” I finished for him.

“Did you lose the planet earth in your galaxy as well?”

“Yes,” I sadly replied. “Why else was Vasken created?”

“Everything has its end,” he droned from the back of his throat. “But I wish it didn’t always have to be that way.”

“We found new life on planets,” I related with feeling. “Planets like this one.”

“Yes, but how much did we lose in the process?” he mused aloud. “How much of our world is extinct?”

I reached for his hand and pulled it close to my side. “I’m just happy you’re here,” I told him in truth. “I do love you, Petyr.”

He visibly swallowed hard, and then tilted his head downwards. “I know,” was all that he could say, and then turned his gaze towards me with something of a small smile.

“We have something that these robots don’t have,” I uttered out in a clear voice. “Love.”

“We do,” he concurred, and inched his face forward to tell me he wanted to kiss me. “I love you too, Sansa.”

Lips smacked hard against each other; a tousling of my hair spread out widely in the grip of his hands as I was harshly slammed up against the clear window. Petyr pressed his lips hard against mine, fingers digging into the back of my head as he pulled me into him. Shaky hands pulled at the top of his collar, searching for his zipper with a sudden excitement. His kisses were soft, quick with fever as if he couldn’t get enough. I heard the grating zipper shrilling in the air, and soon I let my hands wander all over his smooth chest. Petyr inched his head to the side to kiss the side of my cheek, and I felt the heated breath coming from his nostrils as he tried to catch his breath.

“The bed,” I urged, and was happy to find him leaning his weight off me so we could head towards the empty bed. We fell into the bed at our sides, and Petyr was quick to roll me around the length of the it until we reached the very edge. He laughed at the sight of my blushed cheeks, pleased to see the happiness betrayed in my eyes.

“I don’t know why I took so long to say it.”

“Neither do I,” I laughed.

“Sansa, sweetling…”

“Yes, Petyr.”

He simply squinted his eyes at me with delight, and gently lowered himself over me, before he endowed me with a slow meaningful kiss. This was different from every other, and when he inched his face away to look at me fully, I was startled to see the warmth in his grey-green eyes. _God, I could melt in them,_ I realized, and let my hand rub along his smooth cheek in gratitude.

“We’re in this together,” I told him, and then positioned my hands at the back of his neck to pull him in for one more kiss.

Petyr cuddled with me after this was done, pulling up the sheets to throw over our bodies. This was unexpected from him, even more so when he closed his eyes and laid his head down on the top of my shoulder and chest. “What kind of hell did you get me into?” he asked with worry.

“The one you created,” I joked. “The other Petyr, I mean.”

“I’m out of my depth, Sansa.”

“I know.”

“And you said I was supposed to recognize that guy.”

“Lord Tywin,” I remarked. “Yes, as one of the heads of Vasken you should have known who he was.”

“But you didn’t.”

“I said he looked familiar,” I replied with a sudden sharpness. “But I didn’t know his name.”

“They are going to find out everything, and then what will happen to me.”

“You just make sure you don’t tell them anything.”

 “Then I might have too…” He raised his head off my shoulder and moved his body away from me slightly. “Sansa…”

“What is it?”

“What will you do if you lost me again?”

“What do you mean?”

“I may have to die, Sansa,” he droned in a voice filled with emotion.

“No!”

“I may not like my universe, but… I can’t let the same thing that is happening here, go over there as well,” he hushed, so that no one would hear our conversation.

“You don’t have to die,” I entreated with a laying of my hand over the front of his chest. “We can figure this out.”

“Sansa,” he chided.

“I’m not losing you again.”

“You have a child, and I only want what’s best for it.”

“Petyr.”

“I can’t do things that are best for _myself_ anymore,” he explained. He laid his hand over my own, letting his fingers curl over the sides of my hand as it rested over his chest. “I have to put you first… our child.” He offered a sad smile as he added, “And my dimension, as strange as that sounds. I can only expect my friends would do the same.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t,” he agreed. “But I’d like to think so.”

The door suddenly swished open, and the two of us looked past the foot of the bed to see a woman’s silhouette. Petyr sat up on the bed, his face full of concern as he stared at the towering figure, but as for myself, I was filled with nothing but fear.

 


	31. Reputation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petyr does not know the unknown visitor that stepped into his temporary living quarters, but she is well acquainted with him and the infamous reputation he has with Vasken Corporation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in updating this story. I was struggling with the structure of the plot line and for that reason I ended up procrastinating with chapter 31.
> 
> This chapter is relatively short, but I will try and update soon.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read this story,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

“Lord Baelish.”

I was the first to climb out of bed; seeing a slightly distorted mirror reflection of a lover from long ago. Petyr was a lot slower to rise to his feet, looking at the woman with a blank expression.

The woman came closer, the door swishing behind her silently as she let her gaze linger on parallel Petyr. There was a look of scrutiny in her eyes, and when she sharply turned her gaze in my direction there was a look full of judgement. “Things have changed, haven’t they?” Petyr licked his bottom lip nervously, unsure what the tall blond-haired woman was implying. “Ned Stark’s daughter,” she jeered with a look of venom. “How very brave of you?”

“What do you want?” I demanded, knowing she was just toying with the both of us. If Cersei was anything like her twin bother, she would be.

“I want to know why he is still alive, and my brothers are not.” Petyr turned his head in my direction, ignorant of what she was implying. “But I suppose you don’t have an answer for that either.”

“I don’t,” Petyr hushed softly.

“And Ned Stark’s daughter will obviously fill in the info.”

“Petyr forgets a lot of things,” I explained. “He suffered a head wound and-”

“-a quick medical examination will clear all of this up,” she quickly cut in with a frigid tone of voice.

I took a step forward as I entreated, “They were killed on the planet Plegethon.”

“How?”

“Like everyone else… when they crashed on the planet’s surface.”

“Jamie’s readings lasted a lot longer than the others.”

“He was fatally wounded,” I lied for the second time today. “We tried our best, but without the proper medicine and technology that _Vasken_ could provide we were practically helpless.”

Cersei narrowed her eyes at me, shooting me a look of distrust. “And what about you, Petyr? How come you didn’t recognize my father? Or even me?”

“I don’t know,” she hushed softly, and fidgeted with his hands nervously. It was all an act I could tell, pretending he was distressed that he could no longer remember who they were.

“You don’t know,” she jeered, and then sharply turned her back to us as she headed out the door. “Come with me. There are other people that want to speak to you as well.” The door was just swishing open when she muttered behind her back, “And I would keep your _adulteress_ ways to yourself.”

* * *

Cersei took us down the same hallway again. Petyr ignored Cersei’s advice and took a hold of my hand, gripping it tightly as we walked side by side. He was willing to play the role but was not inclined to push me off to the side. _He told me he loved me,_ I remembered, and saw that his actions proved it to be true.

“Are you alright?” he hushed into my ear, sending a warm feeling trailing down my spine.

“I’m just happy you’re here.”

“I’ll never let you go,” he promised, and leaned into my shoulder to leave a chaste kiss on the side of my cheek.

_I should have gone back to his home planet,_ I thought, _we would have been safe._

I rubbed my thumb down the back of his hand, feeling the strength of his grip as he continued to look at me.

Cersei stopped in front of the elevator door, and only then looked over our shoulder to see our joined hands. “I thought I told you to stop that!”

“I don’t give a fuck what you say,” he shot back, which was a clear sign he would not behave like the Petyr from this galaxy.

“What happened down there?” she questioned us in a sharp tone of voice. “You look different… act different… the Board will have a fit.”

“Nothing happened,” Petyr lied, and turned his gaze away from her to stare at the tightly sealed elevator door.

“What happened to your hair?”

“I don’t know. I must have dyed it.”

“You don’t remember.”

“No, I do.”

“But you just said-”

“-Petyr is currently feeling overwhelmed,” I interjected. “This is all so very hard for him.”

The elevator door chimed open and Cersei reluctantly took the first step into the doorway. She crossed her arms at us, waiting in the far end of the corner until we stepped through the elevator doors as well.

The doors closed at a quick pace, and Petyr instinctively took my hand in his own again. I heard Cersei sigh off in the corner, and then she groaned out: “You realize your wife is here on the base, don’t you?”

“My wife?”

“Jane,” she woodenly replied. “She may have died in the initial crash on Plegethon, but she was able to reconstruct herself here. Her consciousness is connected to Vasken, so luckily for you she never _truly_ died. And if she is as smart as you are always boasting, she can probably see the two of you right now. I don’t care about you having an affair, but shouldn’t you be more discreet?” She unfolded her arms and walked closer to the man she was currently scolding when she added, “Are have you forgotten you are married to her as well?”

“I...”

“Heavens,” she droned. “What a nightmare we are about to step into?”

Petyr turned his gaze back to my direction, worry stitched all over his face and making small lines crinkle around the outside of his eyes. I was tempted to lean the palm of my hand against his cheek, but I knew it was unwise, so I affectionately squeezed his hand instead.

“I should take you to the medical ward,” Cersei spoke aloud. Her arms were crossed again, her tight-fitted black uniform closely resembled are our own except the tops of her shoulders were gilded in a decorative gold pattern that reminded me of shoulder pads- a trend that seemed to crop up from time to time. “Get that head examined.”

“Is it so hard to believe that Petyr lost his memory?” I remonstrated. “He’s been gone for five years!”

“And looks younger and healthier than before he left,” Cersei drawled out in a bored voice. “And yet out of everyone that stepped into our security base, its been Lord Baelish that looks the strongest of them all.”

Petyr shrugged his shoulders slightly, and then looked at the door wondering why the elevator was taking so bloody long to open.

“We’re going to the top floor by the way,” Cersei rapped out. “I’ve been ordered to take you to your original quarters where you will change. You have twenty minutes at most.” She turned her steely gaze in my direction as she continued: “And Sansa can wait outside with me.”

“She’s coming with me.”

“You do realize the grave you are digging for yourself?” The elevator door swished opened, and Petyr was the first to step outside; he tugged me along with a harsh pull of the wrist. “People will talk.”

“Let them talk.”

“Have you no shred of decency? Honour?”

Petyr turned down the hallway to the right, pretending he knew where he was going, but we hardly took three steps before Cersei proclaimed his quarters were on the left side of the hallway. “Or have you forgotten that too?” she gibed with a mocking look.

She stood in front of a doorway and it instantly opened, and then she outstretched her hand with a pointed finger to direct Petyr inside. “I seriously think you should rethink this,” when Petyr pulled me inside of the room as well.

“I have,” he shot back, and smirked at her as the doorway closed in between them.

* * *

Cersei was giving Petyr a good once over as we stood in front of the elevator again; he was wearing another black uniform that was more elaborate than the last one. He wore a military-like hat over his head with a jet-black peak that casted a shade over his eyes. He looked the very definition of professionalism, even his stance was different than before.

“My father will be pleased,” she mused aloud. “I suggest you say as little as possible until this all blows over.”

Petyr slyly turned his gaze in her direction, sizing her up as if he wished to intimidate her.

“The entire board will be there,” Cersei fretted aloud. “And my father could not stop the press from trying to get through too. If they ask you any questions you tell them nothing.”

“I have no intention too.”

“And do not hold that girl’s hand,” she sternly replied, with a pointed finger in my direction. “Father cares more about the stock’s, but I am more worried about Vasken’s reputation as a whole.” The elevator stopped, and Cersei took that moment to implore, “You’ve dedicated your life to Vasken! Don’t you want to see it through all the way?”

Petyr grinded his teeth, wishing he wasn’t here right now.

“He will,” I answered for him, and then let go of his hand much to his dismay. The doors opened and I took a step backwards, showing him, we had to play our role for a little while longer. “Sansa,” he mouthed with worry, but when I nodded my head to him with a sad smile, he knew he had to continue this game. An unseen mask covered his visage, his face placid and unreadable, and with a straightening of his back he confidently walked out of the elevator doors. 


End file.
